Promise
by Catria R
Summary: Hitsugaya is one of the Shinigami sent to the human world to defeat the Arrancar. He only has one person on his mind. That is, before he met her. HitsugayaxOC, hinted HitsuxHina. Set in Arrancar arc. R&R if you please! **SEQUEL - COMMITMENT, its out! **
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** First fanfic for Bleach. HitsugayaxOC. To clarify, Yuuki is Ichigo's younger sister. She is a year older than both Karin/Yuzu. I am also aware all their names are fruits except for Yuuki, which may not be fitting… but the description of her name will be relevant in the future.  This is only a short first chapter, but please be kind and R/R!

Yuuki stood precariously on one foot, teetering back and forth as she attempted to regain her balance. Getting up onto the roof was _always_ irritatingly troublesome. If she didn't trip, take a wrong step, go sliding down a tiny panel of the roof, she almost always fell. Almost. In her opinion, the scratches, stubs, and other minuscule injuries were well worth it. It was the only place she could go to be alone.

Or so she thought.

As she neared the top of Orihime's roof (whilst feeling a tad bit like a trespasser, even though she'd received permission long ago) she noticed someone else sitting in _her_ usual spot. She squinted a little, trying to deduce who it was.

Toushirou Hitsugaya.

She had only met him briefly, before Ichigo had shoved her back into her room and mumbled something about friends coming over and how little sisters should _not_ interfere. But from that fleeting moment of a meeting, she understood what kind of person he probably was. It had taken her a while, at the least, to understand why her brother, of all people, was hanging out with a middle school student. This Toushirou Hitsugaya didn't look any older then her (or so she thought), probably a year, at the most.

Her first thought was that her brother was becoming anti-social at a more alarming rate than she noticed, thus turning into someone who was incapable of finding friends in his own grade. However, with a quick shudder she had swiftly cast that off as 'too pathetic' and decided not to delve any further. The next, was that this Toushirou Hitsugaya wasn't a middle school student, but, rather, a Shinigami. You see, her brother was also a Shinigami of sorts. It seemed more logical. Toushirouu was more of an enigma to her than anything, he seldom talked but when he did, his remarks were disdainful. She could probably sum him up in a few words.

Nice?  
Not from what she knew.

Thoughtful?   
Perhaps.

A narcissist?  
Definitely.

Lost in thought, she stumbled and fell forward, nearly breaking her face on impact. She reached her arms out in front of her, attempting to break her fall at the least. Hitsugaya whirled around, to find Yuuki in a gasping mess just a few feet away from him.

He stared at her for a moment before scrambling to help her. He put a hand on her elbow and lifted her into a standing position, all the while wondering why he hadn't noticed her presence. Yuuki gave him a half hearted smile, meekly thanking him before removing his hand off of her elbow and dusting down her clothes. She silently cursed to herself, mentally chastising for being such a clumsy person at the wrong times.

"Um. Thanks." She reiterated, as she checked herself over for any injuries.

"Are you okay?" Hitsugaya asked, a tinge of concern gracing his features. He frowned slightly, wondering why she was here. Wasn't she Ichigo's sister? Yumi, something, was it?

"Yeah. I'm fine." Yuuki answered, giving him a dimpled smile. When he understood that she was okay, he sighed audibly, as if she'd interrupted a precious moment of his life. He sat back down, leaning back on one arm as the other was draped lazily over his stomach.

She shot him a '_well, soooorry!_' look. But he didn't even glance at her. What was his problem, anyway? She decided to sit down too, glancing at him every now and then. She scooted a little closer, just to see if he realized she was still there. He remained unfazed. Neither of them said a word, mostly caught up in the awkward moment.

Hitsugaya eyed her up and down, almost wearily. It was strange, how he'd never noticed their similarities. Ichigo's sister was a lot like Hinamori. Not in looks, of course. Her hair was a strawberry blonde, that fell in soft curls just below her shoulders and some heart pin to keep stray strands of hair out of her face. She was short, he noticed. Shorter than him, at least... in which he took great pride for. She looked fragile, despite her zealous personality. The same zeal that he saw from Hinamori during her training to become a Shinigami. He smiled sadly to himself, remembering her state of health.

Yuuki was the first to break the silence. She balled a fist to her mouth and coughed, clearing her throat. "So... what are you doing here? I've never seen you around... umm, you know." What was that weird feeling that kept making her mix up her words? Ugh, nerves.

"I don't exactly want to go down there with Matsumoto and Orihime." He answered smoothly.

"Yeah, her cooking is--" Yuuki started, but was cut off.

"Terrible." Hitsugaya finished for her. She grinned. At least his taste in food was normal. He glanced over at her, cocking his head to one side. "What about you?"

"Hmm…" She paused for a moment, as she adjusted her hair clip.. "I come up here to think." He watched her shoulders slump a little, as she looked down at the ground. She looked distracted.

"Oh." He replied, wondering what had suddenly made her look so sad. He shifted uncomfortably, running his fingers along the weathered bricks of the roof.

There was a dull silence.

He glanced over at her, trying to think of something nice to say to cheer up her sudden change in mood. He opened his mouth, but she beat him to it.

"Are you a Shinigami?"


	2. Chapter 2

"_Are you a Shinigami?_"

He closed his mouth in an awkward motion, staring at her as if she'd just punched him in the gut. She turned to face him, expecting an answer.

Being a Shinigami was complicated. Not only did you have to conceal your identity to practically everyone, you _especially_ had to be careful around humans. Hitsugaya remembered his days back when he attended the Shinigami Academy and he also remembered all the rules he had to follow and be aware of. Rule #10: When entering the human world, one must never, _ever_ willingly reveal his/her identity as a Shinigami. He figured this was exactly the kind of situation that the rule was made up for.

"Oh, uh... what's that? It sounds childish." He answered, crossing his arms. He mentally smacked himself for his terrible acting.

She seemed to take notice.

"So you _are_..."

"No. No, I'm not." He replied. He was never a rule breaker anyway. She gave him a doubtful glance. "Besides, I don't even know what you're talking about. He looked at her as if she'd said the most ridiculous thing in the world. Or at least, he hoped he did. Maybe he'd suggest acting classes for the Academy.

"Uh huh..."

He'd walked right into that one, hadn't he? He sighed, rubbing his temples in an attempt to calm down the roaring headache that was about to make way.

"It's okay. Your secret is safe with me. Ichigo doesn't know either." She gave him another dimpled smile.

"Oh? So you know that he's... a Shinigami?" He felt relieved. If she already knew about Ichigo, then it wouldn't be willingly giving out information, would it?

"Yeah." She confirmed with a nod. "I mean, whenever I see him fighting those... things..."

"Hollows." He corrected. "You can see them?" He glanced at her, wondering just how high her spirit power was.

"... Yeah, that's it! Whenever I see him fighting those _hollows_, I get worried. I mean, what if he dies? I don't think he can die... can he? I just... I don't know what to think anymore.." She knew she was rambling now, but she couldn't help it. Every time she thought about Ichigo engaging in battle with _swords_ and other sharp objects, it freaked her out.

"Shinigamis can die." Hitsugaya answered bluntly.

She looked over at him like he'd said the worst thing possible. "Oh..."

He quickly realized his mistake and interjected. "I mean... only if they're hurt extremely bad. Shinigami heal much faster than humans... so unless they receive potentially fatal wounds... anyway Ichigo is a capable fighter." She didn't seem to absorb any of what he'd just said. "It's not like I'd let him hurt hi--" A shrill noise engulfed his voice, cutting him off completely.

"Ohh!"

They both whipped their heads around to see who the intruder was.

"Who's that with you, Hitsugaya?" Matusmoto Rangiku cooed, waving a hand. Orihime stood beside her looking sheepish.

"Uh..." He was at loss for words. He looked over at the girl in question who now resembled a deer in headlights.

"Oh! Is it your new girlfriend?" She teased. A deep blush began to invade Yuuki's face. She lifted a hand in an attempt to cover it up. Hitsugaya just stared at his vice captain, wondering if he should yell at her because of that comment or because she kept calling him 'Hitsugaya'. Sometimes he marveled at how Matsumoto always managed to barge in at the very wrong times and make very wrong comments.

"I-I... what? No.. me? I'm not..." Yuuki stammered in an attempt to correct Matsumoto's _extremely_ wrong conclusion. Thoroughly embarassed, she stood up quickly.

"Yuuki," Orihime called. She couldn't help but giggle at her. "Ichigo wants you home right now!"

Yuuki looked relieved. "Well! I guess I better go. Bye everyone!" She shuffled towards the exit. Turning, she waved a little before scrambling down the ladder.

"Hmm, nice one, Hitsugaya! She's a little skinny and weak looking... but I'm sure when she's older and has more curves like me," She observed her chest at this point and frowned. "...well maybe not as much as me... she'll be killer!" Matsumoto began as she observed Yuuki's retreating form.

"Matsumoto." Hitsugaya said slowly.

"So that Ichigo's sister?" She continued, squinting in hopes of seeing some resemblance.

"Matsumoto." He tried again.

"She's certainly prettier than he is... " At this she began to laugh at her own little joke. Orihime joined in.

"MATSUMOTO!"

They both stopped laughing almost instantaneously.

"...Yes?" She questioned, craning her neck ever so slightly to face her captain.

"Stop talking about Yumi-- I mean Yuuki! She is _not_ my girlfriend, and don't even joke about those kind of things!" He yelled whilst pinching the bridge of his nose to calm down the roaring headache that had, indeed, come.

"You know I'm only kidding, Hitsugaya! After all..." She didn't finish for she didn't have the opportunity to.

"IT'S _CAPTAIN_ HITSUGAYA TO YOU!"

**A/N**: Thank you for the review Mind Walking Rabid Squirrel, I very much appreciate your kind words! I hope you readers have enjoyed this chapter, don't forget to review!


	3. Chapter 3

Hitsugaya found that he would habitually go up to Orihime's roof. He had to admit that Yuuki was right; it really was a good thinking spot. He had concluded she was an interesting person, perhaps someone worth getting to know... 

She was invading his thoughts and he needed to stop thinking so much.

...Though he couldn't help but be bothered by that sad aura around her.

"God... she needs to get out of my head." He whispered to himself, as he shuddered involuntarily. What was wrong with him? He stood up, listening to the clicks of his joints from sitting too long. He turned whilst stretching his back, only to see her standing there. He stopped mid stretch, a bit shocked. How long had she been standing there?

"Hi." Yuuki squeaked, backing up a little.

"Hey..." He answered slowly, as he finished his stretch. Had she heard him? 

"Were you leaving just now?" She asked, giving him a weird look.

"No." He stated abruptly and sat back down. "Uh, I was just stretching."

"Oh. What are you doing here anyway?"

He looked at her suspiciously. He was sure that she had heard him. He ran a hand through his hair in hopes that she wouldn't notice the small beads of sweat that were now forming on his forehead. "Just thinking." 

She frowned. Conversational skills must not be his strong point. "...About?" She wondered if she was invading his personal information, but she quickly cast that thought away.

"Just a person that I really care about."

Yuuki gave him a look.

He cringed as he realized how bad that must've sounded especially if she had heard him earlier. He opened his mouth to point out that it was not her he was talking about, but Hinamori. "Not like _that_, you know... I didn't mean..."

"Oh no, that's not it. You just didn't strike me as the type of person to care about other people." Yuuki had let the comment slip before she could think properly. She desperately wished that her big mouth didn't dig her into a hole.

"I'm sorry?" Hitsugaya said through clenched teeth, daring her to repeat.

"I mean, I just... I figured you were more of a 'look-I'm-the-coolest' type... not that you actually say that or anything, though your uh, white hair is pretty flashy..."

And sometimes her big mouth dug her even deeper.

She smiled weakly in his direction, only to see his face contorted into what she figured was a combination of both shock and anger. She could almost see his anger flare up around him, to which she scooted further away.

She needed to get out of there. Fast.

Yuuki casually looked at her non-existent watch and hummed. "Oh, it's so late already! I guess I better be going! Good bye!" She scrambled to her feet, giving a half hearted wave to his back and fled.

He didn't bother to look at her leave.

**A/N:** Apologies for the short chapter, I felt it would be better to end it off here for a little tension. I promise the next chapter coming as soon as possible, and it will be longer, don't forget to review!


	4. Chapter 4

Yuuki stared blankly at the wall in front of her bed. She hadn't seen Toushirou for days, she had avoided him completely. She knew what she had said was totally rude and wrong of her but her first instinct was to run for her life. She was scared witless of Toushirou, after all, he _was_ a Shinigami. She'd seen Ichigo in battle, and his huge sword. Surely, if Toushirou was of captain status (though a little hard to believe, in her opinion) he was probably scarier. However, her second, more rational side told her she should apologize, that it was the right thing to do. She sighed loudly. What was she to do?

She needed a walk. Badly.

Sluggishly, she got out of bed, and made her way into the bathroom to clean up. By the silence, she figured nobody was awake yet. Not that her family was composed of early risers, anyway. After she had finished brushing her teeth, she looked up at the mirror and gave herself a smile. She fingered the heart hair clip in her hands, before she adjusted it in her hair.

Stretching a little, she made her way to the kitchen, but not without passing Ichigo's room on the way. She opened the door to see him still sleeping peacefully (or, rather resembling a passed out zombie) and gave him a sad smile. She didn't want to see her brother die, that was certain. She let out another sigh, and closed the door. Sauntering over to the kitchen, she hastily scribbled a note about how she'd be back in time to help with breakfast. The Kurosaki's (and by that she meant mainly Karin and her father) never went without breakfast, or there'd be all hell to pay.

Yuuki yawned as she shuffled into her shoes and quietly went outside. The weather was gloomy but no wind or rain at least. She decided to walk to the park. She loved when it was empty in the early morning so she could just quietly sit by herself. Yuuki closed her eyes, smiling as she breathed in the air. She cringed as she felt a strong wind. _That was weird. It's not even windy today. _She looked behind, confused. Deciding it was one of those random winds, Yuuki continued walking along the park.

_Woosh._ There it was again. What was going on? She shivered. She was no stranger to horror movies, and in scenes like this… there _had_ to be someone following her. Yuuki could feel the hair on the back of her neck rise. She looked behind her, and quickened her pace.

Footsteps. She could hear them clearly. One after another… coming after her. She desperately Ichigo was with her. Or maybe Karin with a soccerball. Her kicks were legendary. She couldn't take it anymore. Taking a few deep breaths, she broke out into a run. That psychopath killer wasn't going to catch up to her!

She checked behind her again, relieved when she saw nobody following her. Maybe it was her imagination? Before she had even realized, she was flung backwards. She yelped as she hit the ground, hands scraping along the grainy surface. Yuuki looked up, wondering if she had somehow ran into a brick wall. She could feel herself go numb as she saw _him_ standing in front of her. She stared for a moment, bewildered and fearful. Yuuki glanced down at her skirt that was now caked in dirt and grime. She could feel her cheeks burn.

"What the heck are you doing? You just ruined my skirt!" Yuuki demanded, as she got up, wiping at her skirt. "Are you like, stalking me or something? Like some... some... sick, perverted... _freak_?!"

Hitsugaya stared at Yuuki, frowning. Yuuki glanced up at him, eyes wide as she realized what she had just said. Just when she thought apologizing would be a good idea, she had just gone and made the situation _way_ worse.

His sea green eyes glimmered.

"Oh! ... I-I'm sorry. I didn't... mean it, I swear. It just happened..." She stammered and watched as he took a step towards her. "Oh, please don't kill me.." She began backing away, raising her hands in protest. Who knew what these Shinigami captains were capable of?

Hitsugaya stepped forward and grabbed her wrist to stop her from moving. Eyes hooded, his grip tightened. He had planned his revenge for that little comment for days now.

_I'm going to die, I'm going to die!_ Yuuki thought to herself, as she desperately tried to pry her wrist out of his iron grip. She looked around for anyone who could help her, but in the early morning, nobody was around. She stared up in horror, expecting Hitsugaya to turn into a shinigami at any moment and draw his sword.

Yuuki screwed her eyes shut. She didn't want to see herself die.

Hitsugaya watched her squirm, highly amused. Did she really think he was going to kill her? This was even better then he had planned. He took a step closer, grinning as she noticeably cringed. He took another step closer, in which she raised her other arm for some kind of pathetic defense. He could feel the laughter rising inside him. This was too good.

To an onlooker, Yuuki figured whatever Toushirou was doing might look a little inappropriate. _Too bad there aren't any, otherwise someone would help me!_ Yuuki thought to herself. She opened an eye slowly, and quickly shut it again when she made split-second eye contact with him. She was _not_ going to let him see the fear in her eyes! Hitsugaya couldn't hold it in anymore, a splutter of laughter escaped his lips, and he let go of her wrist.

_What was that?_ Yuuki strained to hear. Oh God, he was laughing! Laughing like some sick, sadistic killer! She could feel his grip loosen around her wrist, and she quickly recoiled. She couldn't help but open her eyes, and when she did she saw him laughing. It wasn't that evil-killer kind of laugh, well, maybe it was, but if anything it was ridiculing. _Ridiculing her._ Yuuki frowned, not fully understanding.

"Did you... did you.." Hitsugaya spoke between his laughter. "See your face? You were so scared!!" He doubled over, slapping his knee in the process. He felt a little weird for laughing so hard, since he didn't really laugh much at all these days, but it was well worth it. His laughter began to subside as he noted the silence on the other end. He glanced at her. "Did you really think I was going to kill you?!" He couldn't help but laugh again.

"You... _you_!" Yuuki screamed, pointing an accusing finger at him. _This could not be happening. How was super-serious __Toushirou__ laughing at HER?_ She couldn't believe that he had planned this. Was he even capable of that? Yuuki glared as Hitsugaya made futile attempts to stop his laughter. Everytime he glanced at her, he couldn't help but break out into a grin. _That's it._ Yuuki thought. She looked down at the ground for a moment. "You're going to regret this."

"Why? Are you going to kill me too?" Hitsugaya taunted, laughing. He felt a little rude for laughing at her expense, but if anything, she deserved it for those nasty little comments she'd made about him.

Yuuki could feel her temple throbbing. "YES!!" She yelled, as she brought up a fist and gave him a solid punch. She smiled smugly as she felt her knuckles make contact with his chin in a smooth upper cut. Hitsugaya's eyes widened in shock as he fell to the ground, tumbling to a halt. Yuuki glanced around. She really hoped nobody had seen her do that. It was very unlady-like, in her opinion. Nonetheless, Yuuki smiled to herself. _This is what you guess for messing with me! Yeah!_ She pumped a fist into the air enthusiastically.

There was no movement or reaction from Hitsugaya.

Yuuki cocked her head to one side, secretly wondering if she had _actually_ killed him. Ichigo always told her even though she looked like a girl, she had the strength of a boy. Who knew? If Ichigo was capable of being a Shinigami, maybe she had superhuman strength. She inched closer towards him, nudging his backside a little with her foot.

"Hey... hey... get up..?" Yuuki chided.

No response.

Yuuki gulped as she knelt down beside him. "I'll buy you some.. ice cream if you get up now!" She said. She reached a hand out towards him to shake him.

Still no response.

"C'mon... I know a really good ice cream place… it's just down the street." Yuuki pleaded, as she walked around him. She stood in front of him and observed what he was wearing. Black shoes. Dark ripped jeans. Black shirt. _Ick, he needs some fashion advice._ Her eyes traveled up to his face.

His eyes were open. He was dully staring back at her.

Yuuki jumped back in shock. This was getting more like a horror movie then she realized. She nudged his shoulder daintily with a foot, hoping to get a response from him. His eyes continued to stare at her with that dull, lifeless glint. She'd seen documentaries on death… maybe he'd died with his eyes opened?

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Hitsugaya yelled out, grabbing onto her ankle at the same time and pulling her down to the ground. Yuuki screamed back, visibly shocked as she could feel herself hit the ground, _again_. She cringed as her head hit the ground. She rolled into him, body curling up into a ball as she held her head in pain. Hitsugaya laughed again, that little improvisation was really good He sat up, glancing at her writhing in pain. He could feel the guilt coming. Gingerly, he pried her hands away from her head, to see the damage. He could see the tears that had formed in her eyes and were threatening to spill. Uh oh.

"Hey, I didn't really mean to hurt you..." He began.

Yuuki wiped at her eyes. This stupid little boy was so _annoying_!

"Ohh Captain Hitsugaya! I came looking for you since you were not at home! Are you with your girlfriend again?" A voice suddenly interrupted. A voice that unmistakably belonged to his vice captain. He glanced up from his sitting position at her.

Hitsugaya frowned. _Huh? What was that crazy.._ He stared at his hands which were on Yuuki's head. He hastily dropped his arms and backed away from her, a cool expression on his face. "Good morning."

Matsumoto smiled. "This is too cute! I wish I brought a camera with me!" She took a step closer to them, wondering why Yuuki was looking at the ground. "Yuuki, are you okay? You don't have to be embarassed, even if you're Hitsugaya's first girlfriend!" She teased.

Hitsugaya glared at Matsumoto, trying to send her a telepathic message that now was _not_ the time. Yuuki looked up at Matsumoto, who's gaze hardened.

"What did you do to her?" Matsumoto demanded, gesturing to Yuuki's teary-eyed face. Matsumoto looked down at Yuuki. "Did he hurt you? Is that what our little Hitsugaya did?" She looked back at Hitsugaya accusingly.

"It's not like that! I mean, she started it!" Hitsugaya answered, dumbfounded and a tad angry with the 'little' comment.

Matsumoto glared at Hitsugaya. Of all the things she had taught him, she had stressed that the most important thing was making women happy! She pulled Yuuki up into a standing position, dusting off the dirt on her clothing. "Look at this! You ruined her clothes! Bring her home. Now!"

Hitsugaya got up, and shot Matsumoto a dirty look. He knew that even though he was captain, Matsumoto had this weird way of controlling him. Especially when he did things wrong. Rule #95 in the Shinigami Handbook specifically stated that a vice captain must never challenge the captain's authority, despite any age gap. He growled to himself, wondering why that rule was created if nobody (Matsumoto) wouldn't follow it. He grabbed onto Yuuki's hand and began walking. Yuuki muttered a thank you and followed reluctantly behind.

Matsumoto just grinned in approval.

**A/N**: Okay, longer than the last chapter as I promised. What did you guys think? I had a lot of fun writing this one! Reviews please, it's very, very appreciated! I'm thinking Arrancar to appear soon, let me know what you guys think. :)


	5. Chapter 5

"Wait, wait… so let me get this straight, you made a girl _cry?_" Ikkaku asked inbetween sputters of laughter.

Hitsugaya glared at Ikkaku and Yumichika who were literally rolling on the floor and laughing. Matsumoto had, yet again, told them joyously about _that_. She had already told most of the others which had gained a similar response. First it was shock, then it was laughter, and last and considerably the worst, was ridicule. He wanted to crawl under a rock and hide away for a long time. Or maybe forever. 

He clearly remembered when his vice captain had broken the news to Ichigo. He also clearly remembered that look in Ichigo's eyes -- it was raw and almost barbaric, the intent that certainly wanted to murder him without hesitation; given the right opportunity. It was by pure luck that Ichigo turned out to be more of an understanding brother then he thought. He'd somehow weaseled his way out of Ichigo's wrath, or at least the worst of it and for that he was relieved. Shinigamis often did work together, anyway.

"Isn't that a bit cruel?" Yumichika interjected, raising a brow. "It was Ichigo's sister, too." He gave an eerie smile towards Hitsugaya, one that parents would give when scolding their children under the false pretense that they weren't angry or disappointed.

Hitsugaya knew too well, what Yumichika was actually implying. Yes, he was a jerk and yes, he understood his actions were possibly a little wrong, though he had reason for it. He surveyed the room wearily. Three against one… it was pointless to try to justify himself. This was _exactly_ the reason why he never went out of his way to have "fun". People either laughed at him or thought he was a jerk. In this case, it just happened to be both.

"Yeah, yeah. I saw her, she looks so frail. That poor girl. I mean, even though I can be an ass sometimes, I'd never do anything like _that_." Ikkaku responded with a smug smile. 

Hitsugaya reciprocated with a smile that seemed to say 'any-more-and-I'll-promptly-kick-your-ass'. He watched in momentary satisfaction as Ikkaku's smile faded.

"Ah, well. I think Captain Hitsugaya was just trying to express his feelings! They're quite a fetching pair…" Matsumoto joked in an attempt to defend her captain. 

Another blow to his dignity.

"She is not my girlfriend."

"Denial must be a sign of love." Yumichika added dreamily.

"This is stupid." Hitsugaya answered, a hint of animosity lacing through his words. He glared at the trio, pleased when they visibly shrunk back. "I'm leaving."

"Don't forget to take Yuuki out like you promised!" Matsumoto called out. 

Hitsugaya groaned. Never again was he going to play stupid jokes. They were way too troublesome.

-------------------

"Yuuki!" 

She could hear someone yelling her name. Karin? She strained to hear… no, the voice was too deep. Ichigo? Probably. After that little _incident_, she had no intention of getting up to cook breakfast. Or do anything for that matter. She just wanted to sleep. To rest and recover from that ill-fated head injury. The walls of her room had horrible sound retention. But, she supposed that was the price to pay for having her own room. She was always victim to her dad's snoring (that resembled a boar, in her opinion). It was loud and untimely, and to be frank, Ichigo's yelling bouncing off the walls wasn't doing much to deter her… or so she tried to convince herself.

"_Yuuki!_"

She could hear him coming closer. Yuuki shut her eyes, frowning. Didn't people understand she wanted sleep? There was an insistent rapping on her door. She groaned and snuggled underneath the covers, hoping they'd get the hint and leave.

"If you're not going to open it, I'm just coming in!"

She didn't care. She could hear the door swing open with its usual creak, and she knew Ichigo was standing in the doorway. She could almost mentally picture him slouched on the doorframe, sucking in a breath to yell for breakfast. . The Kurosaki family was easy to predict, simply because she had been deemed as the new mom once her mother had passed. Though, Yuzu was taking more of her responsibilities, she couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. She vowed she would never become a mother for the simple reason that she didn't want two families to take care of.

"Hey! Someone is here to see you!" 

Prediction wrong.

Yuuki could feel the mattress sag underneath the added weight, which was, no doubt her brother. Okay, maybe she wasn't so good with predicting, but that didn't matter. She mumbled something unintelligible, hoping whoever had came to see her would get the idea and leave.

"She sure sleeps daintily."

Yuuki's eyes snapped open as she heard the comment dripping with sarcasm, that had certainly not come from her older brother. Her brother was a jerk sometimes, but he never made comments about her sleeping, simply because she could make a million more comebacks about his zombie-like sleep. She could feel a cold shiver run up her spine, to which she pulled the covers towards her. The only thing that was going through her mind was the fact that a stranger was in her room and watching her sleep. She closed an eye, in hopes that this mystery person still thought she was sleeping. Yuuki tried to regulate her breathing and calm the pounding in her chest. She could feel Ichigo's hand on her shoulder, and for a moment she wondered if her brother was playing a prank on her. She stirred, very slightly, to try and get a clear view on this second person. Now they were in her line of vision. Khaki pants?

"Oh, so you're awake." The voice muttered. 

Yuuki slowly looked up. Green eyes? White hair?

"OH GOD!" Yuuki yelled, as she grabbed a pillow and threw it at the intruder who was none other then Hitsugaya. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY ROOM?!" She pulled the covers around her more securely. She could feel Ichigo's grip on her shoulder tighten.

"Yuuki, calm down." Ichigo ordered. "You were being so lazy that I decided to bring him h--" Ichigo stopped talking as he barely dodged a pillow that was aimed for his face. He released his grip and stood up. "What the hell?!"

"GET. OUT." Yuuki screamed, with a frightening roar that even surprised herself. She pointed to the door.

Hitsugaya and Ichigo exchanged glances. They both looked at her as if she'd suddenly become Aizen's accomplice, a mix of curiosity and shock. Leaving would be a good idea, was their silent agreement.

Yuuki stared at the door and groaned. She had the sudden urge to repeatedly smash her head into the wall. Nothing was going right for her these days! She got out of bed, and quickly made her way to the door and locked it with a satisfying 'click'. She was _not _about to risk them coming in while she was changing.

(OUTSIDE)

"Yeah, so... what did you want to see Yuuki for?" Ichigo questioned, narrowing his eyes. Hitsugaya crossed his arms and mumbled a response.

"You're WHAT?!" Ichigo yelled, grabbing him by his shirt collar.

Hitsugaya raised his hands in innocence as he glared at Ichigo. "Hey, it wasn't _my_ idea, alright? Matsumoto cooked it up… and you know, her cooking is less than desirable." He gave Ichigo a weak smile, hoping his lame joke would ease the tension.

Ichigo loosened his grip a little. "Oh. That seems like her. So you're just going to like, be a few hours, right? Fast? If you're over her curfew I'll persona--"

"Don't worry about it." Hitsugaya reassured.

"Don't worry about what?" Yuuki asked suddenly. She had emerged from her room and the two hadn't noticed. 

Hitsugaya stared for a moment, surprised that he hadn't noticed her. "Nothing." He answered quickly.

Ichigo looked from Hitsugaya to Yuuki, observing, no scrutinizing the very idea. "Hey, Yuuki?"

"Yeah?" Yuuki responded as she looked up at her older brother, head tilted to one side.

"I think you should change what you're wearing." 

"What?" Yuuki stared at him with a confused expression. She looked down at herself. She was just wearing a pair of shorts and a tank top like normal. What was wrong with it?

"It's too revealing." Ichigo answered, almost as if he read her thoughts. He reached over and opened the door and shoved her inside. 

"What are you talking about?!" Yuuki yelled from inside her room as she pounded on the door. She realized her attempts were futile, and slid to the ground, pressing her ear against the door to listen in. She really wished she had a glass cup, the favoured household item of eavesdropping.

"I'm not a pervert." Hitsugaya drawled as he glared at Ichigo. 

"Yeah, well, that's not what she said." Ichigo replied back. "Look, if you hurt her, I will make sure that you never, _ever_, see her again. I'm a guy, I know how guys work. Especially ones like _you._"

Yuuki had heard enough. She began pounding furiously on the door again, yelling at them to let her out. If they were going to talk about her, she wanted to make sure that she was able to defend herself. What was Hitsugaya planning if Ichigo had to give him one of his brotherly pep talks? 

Hitsugaya shot a dirty look at the door as the knocking persisted. "I'm not going to do _anything_ to her. Besides, why would I want to?" He shoved Ichigo (who's hands immediately clenched into fists) aside and let Yuuki out. 

"FINALLY." Yuuki shouted, glaring at the two. "What the hell is goi--"

"We're going now." Hitsugaya cut her off, nodding briefly to Ichigo, to which Ichigo replied with an icy nod back. He took her hand and began to lead her away.

"Huh? Where are we going?" Yuuki asked, as she slowed her pace. He ignored her and continued to pull her along. She watched with muted humiliation as her father smiled bashfully towards her direction and even went as far as giving her a thumbs up. Her gaze shifted towards her younger sisters, Yuzu who mimicked her father's actions and Karin, who looked both bewildered and… jealous? Hitsugaya forced a smile towards her family, but other then that he remained unfazed. Yuuki shot one last pleading look towards Ichigo, begging him to stop and tell her what was going on. Her eyes met his, which were clouded over in what looked like concern. His mouth was set in a grim line, and for lack of better terms, he looked incredibly pissed off.

_Oh God._

**A/N**: This one developed rather quickly… kind of the aftermath of chapter four I suppose. I hope you guys enjoy it. I'm glad Mindless is still an avid reader and that I've gained a couple more… but please review!!


	6. Chapter 6

"Okay. We're here."

Yuuki lifted her head up to see where she was. She stared, mouth agape at the familiar building.

"Well? Let's go inside, then."

She stiffly nodded her head, and ever so slightly turned it to glance at this mysterious boy. She didn't understand what was going on. It simply did not add up. How could this jerk of a kid be taking her around? She felt detached from her body, as if she were watching herself walk towards the doors, one foot after the other. Breathing slowly, she winced as the doors drew closed with a mechanical click. She couldn't help but be aware that she was now inside this place, with_ him_. Ordinary chatter filled her ears and she could smell the food from the cafeteria nearby, but still, she couldn't quite wrap her mind around it.

_Why?_

She felt him tug on her wrist, and it was only then she realized she had stopped walking.

"Are you okay?" He regarded her with a bored expression, with only a tinge of concern. When she didn't answer, she watched as his mouth set in a grim line obviously displeased.

It was then it hit her.

------

_Yuuki shot one last pleading look towards Ichigo, begging him to stop and tell her what was going on. Her eyes met his, which were clouded over in what looked like concern. His mouth was set in a grim line, and for lack of better terms, he looked incredibly pissed off._

------

The reality of it came crashing down on her, and she meekly stared in his direction, too shocked to react. People were staring at them. She realized they probably did look odd; standing in the middle of the entrance way as people hurriedly walked by. Her gaze fell down towards her wrist and suddenly, the hand on her wrist was burning.

This wasn't right.

Hitsugaya followed her gaze, wondering what her problem was. Almost instantenously he let go of her wrist, and instead hastily stuffed his hand into his pant pocket. He watched as Yuuki's arm fell back towards her side in a smooth, near liquid movement.

He was right. He shouldn't have ever agreed. He had let Matsumoto go too far.

"I don't… I don't understand." Yuuki spoke slowly. She looked up at him then, her brown eyes locking with his sea green. "What are we…?" She didn't finish, she didn't want to. And for a brief moment, she even hoped he wouldn't answer.

Hitsugaya let out a deep breath, and she couldn't help but notice that he looked a little flustered. _Damnit, Matsumoto!_

"I just wanted to uh," he paused for a moment and closed his eyes, "apologize." He said it quietly and slowly as if he were struggling to pronounce the word. "So I brought you here…" He gestured with a hand towards the many shops.

"Apologize?" She gave him a questioning gaze, to which he promptly looked down at the ground.

"You know."

"No, I don't." She replied, it was no help when her mind drew an empty blank.

"Yesterday. The park." He answered vaguely, hoping she'd get the hint. There was no way he was going to say it again. He could feel his cheeks colour with red and at this moment he knew Matsumoto would pay for this little stunt.

She frowned slightly and bit her lip, portraying the illusion as if she were thinking extremely hard. Was this for real? Was Toushirou actually apologizing to her? She wanted to say something intelligent, witty or profound. Anything to reassure her that she was still in a correct state of mind, but all she could muster was a pathetic, "…Oh."

"So…" He reached a hand to the back of his neck in hopes to cool himself down. He glanced at her and coughed awkwardly, unsure of what to say.

"Are we like, on a date, or something?" Yuuki blurted it out before she could stop herself and immediately regretted it.

Slightly taken aback, Hitsugaya stared at her like she'd just grown two heads. He thought for a moment, wondering what this actually was, but he was certain that it was _not_ a date.

"No." He replied finally, letting out one deep but rapid breath. "No, no. This is not a date." He said once more. It couldn't be. After all, he had Hinamori.

_Hinamori._

He couldn't help but remember what had happened to his childhood friend and as nonchalantly as he could, he turned away from Yuuki.

She noticed his pained expression and looked down to stare at the scratched tiles as he turned away from her. _He must really not want to be here. _She thought to herself and felt sorry for asking such an absurd question.

"I mean, this is… just a friendly…" He searched for a word to fit the description but couldn't.

"It's fine. We can just leave. I know you don't want to be here." Yuuki finished bluntly. She gave him a sideways glance and briskly made her way to the sliding doors. She wanted to get out of here as fast as possible..

"Wait. Wait!" He called out, surprising himself with the urgency of his tone. Yuuki stiffened, unsure if she should continue walking.

"I'm not… I'm not done." He muttered thickly and with two quick strides, he reached towards her and abruptly spun her towards him with a little more aggression then he had intended. He looked down at her with such intensity, she shrunk back a little. What was he doing?

As if some unknown force had answered her, she suddenly flashbacked to a recent television drama she'd seen where the leading lady had been stopped by the handsome male protagonist during her grand departure to…

Kiss. Her?

_Oh God._

She felt her breathing quicken and her heart was beating so hard she wondered if it would spontaneously combust.

He noticed her alarmed expression.

_Shit. _Hitsugaya thought to himself silently, still gripping onto her shoulder. _This was going all wrong._ He licked his lips which had suddenly turned so dry (to which Yuuki found oddly disturbing and frightening at the same time, for she thought of something else). He was at loss for words. He let go of her shoulder and took a step back. With as much energy as he could muster, he forced his mouth to move to say something.

"I came here to do something." He said softly.

Yuuki swallowed the nervous lump that had been forming in her throat and also took a step back. For a moment she wanted to ask him what it was, but she feared the dreadful answer.

So instead, she laughed.

It was a nervous twitter of a laugh, something that would appear to be done for comic relief – which, in a way it was. She let out the breath she had been unknowingly holding. "I, uh, I guess it was my mistake for trying to leave like that. It was rude of me to do so." She laughed out loud again, hoping to lighten the mood, all the while realizing she probably looked like a crazy idiot.

Hitsugaya remained unfazed. "Okay, it's like this. I made a promise to Matsumoto to buy you new clothes." He stated bluntly.

Yuuki stared at him, dumbfounded. Had she heard him incorrectly? What the hell did clothes have to do with a kiss?!

He noticed her lack of reaction and frowned. _Was this girl for real? She had the memory of a goldfish… _"I mean, you know. I ruined your clothes. Yesterday at the park? Your skirt?"

Yuuki did not register anything he said, but that he had_ not_ said he was going to kiss her. He watched with slight amusement as her face confused mask dropped and replaced with humiliation. Her mind was racing, how could she be so stupid to think that he was going to kiss her? This was Toushirou, the jerk whom she met on the roof. The jerk who had stolen her spot and gave her a dirty look like she was wasting his precious time. She forced a smile in his direction, hoping he wouldn't notice the sudden colour change in her face, which was no doubt a bright red.

"So what stores do you like?"

_What the hell was he going on about now?_ She wondered as she shut her eyes. She just wanted to get out of here and fast. Had he noticed? Could Shinigami's read minds?

"Uhh…" Hitsugaya looked around and spotted a small boutique-style shop filled with girly clothes that seemed to resemble what Yuuki liked to wear. "Here, let's go in that one." He gestured vaguely with an arm, waiting for her response.

"Yeah, okay." She responded with a numb nod and took a few steps forward before stopping herself. "Wait, what? Whoa." She paused for a moment, squinting in his direction. The building shock must've exploded because suddenly, she felt a whirlwind of emotions. "Whoa, whoa whoa… did you just say you're going to buy me _clothes_? Okay, first of all you shouldn't parade around offering to buy clothes for any random people. Secondly, where did you get money? You don't look old enough for a job. I mean even if you're a Shinigami… here in the human world you could get mugged!"

Hitsugaya deadpanned but couldn't help but remember a certain vice captain shoving bills into his hands and urging him to go along with this devious plan. Nevertheless, he shot Yuuki a dirty look. "Look, if I don't get you something Matsumoto is going to be furious. She has this uh, thing with women being treated like queens because once there was this Shinigami by the name of Ichi—nevermind. Anyway, she'll probably force me to test her new cooking creations. So just go along with it, okay? Also, there's no way a petty human could steal from me."

The humiliation melted away and she could feel the anger settle in. "Oh, so you think _you're_ the one with all the problems? Remember when you unceremoniously dragged me out of my house? Didn't you catch the look in my dad's eye? He thought you were like, my… _boyfriend._" She shuddered at the thought and Hitsugaya frowned.

"So? What's so bad about that? I'm strikingly good looking you know." He didn't know why he said that, but he went along with it and smirked in her direction. Yuuki just scoffed and muttered something that he couldn't hear, though he thought he caught tidbits about 'hair' and 'jerk'.

"This is ridiculous."

Hitsugaya sighed loudly. _This was taking way too long._ He took a few steps around her and without thinking twice, he reached out and grabbed onto her wrist once more.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

Ignoring her words, he began to drag her towards the boutique.

"Stop! Let go of me! I'm going to scream if you don't stop!"

He shot her a menacing look, which seemed to shut her up immediately. Once they were reaching the doors of the store (which were wide open), he smiled brightly at the workers and gently shoved her inside. He leaned in towards her.

"Pick anything you like."

--------------------

**A/N**: WHOA, I haven't updated in a long long time. Too busy with school and stuff. Though, I hope you guys enjoy this one… I had terrible writers block and I'm not too happy with how this came out. Oh well, please read and review! And to reply to some of my readers:

**TheatreChick07:** I don't actually plan to bring Hinamori into the story, just flashbacks and such. She might be in like one or two chapters but that would probably be it. :) Thanks for your interest!

**SilentSS**: Haha, I actually do plan on having some onesided KarinxHitsugaya... I'm surprised you caught on! It was really a mild hint. :)

Anyway, please read & review:) Thanks to all the people who have read my fanfic and/or reviewed!


	7. Chapter 7

Yuuki stared at the trinket in her hand, listening to the methodic steps of Toushirou. She was walking very slowly, she knew, but she figured it was a nice gesture for him to keep her pace.

"Can't you walk any faster? I have to get you home soon or Ichigo will put my skull through the wall. " Hitsugaya questioned, irritated.

_So much for nice…_ She thought to herself and sped up a little. She had chosen the cheapest thing possible, which happened to be a cell phone strap. She could only thank the higher powers that were looking after her, somehow. The store that she'd been forcefully dragged into was one of great expense. Even the little phone strap had cost a good ten dollars. Yuuki cast a glance at her Shinigami escort and sighed. He still didn't look satisfied.

"I still think I should have gotten you clothes." He grumbled. "Matsumoto… she won't be convinced I bought you _that_. Hell, she'll probably think I was being cheap. Didn't you like any of those things?"

Yuuki frowned as she remembered what had happened.

-----

"_Pick anything you like."_

_He had whispered it into her ear. She could feel his breathing on her neck. This guy was way too creepy. She watched as workers milled around her and she forced a smile._

"_Could you help her find something nice?"_

_His voice was eerily polite, something she'd never heard from him. She despondently watched one or two of the sales associates nod their heads and hurry off to the racks of clothing. She was hoping they would kick them out, for she knew this boutique was more of a high class store. Only one of her friends actually had the funds to buy something from this store, and personally she thought it was a waste of money. She couldn't help but wonder why they listened to him. He didn't look like he had a lot of money._

_Though, he did have that cool, authoritative aura around him._

_She shuddered again. What was she thinking? _

"_How's this?" One of the ladies questioned, and held up an array of clothing. Yuuki wondered how she was capable of carrying them all. "Do you want me to put them in the dressing room?"_

"_Yes." Hitsugaya answered for her with a smile and nod. _

_Yuuki cringed as piles of clothing made their way into the dressing room… she needed to find a way out, now! Quickly scanning the room, she looked for something that looked relatively cheap. The sales racks would still have high prices, she concluded. THERE!_

"_No, no! It's okay… in fact…" Yuuki started and suddenly became tongue tied as she noticed the workers looked increasingly irritated. "I uh, I mean… Toushirou," she gulped and closed her eyes, praying to God that the world would forgive her for she was about to commit a sin. "Don't you think this store is not really my style? I mean those… cell phone straps are cute!" She lunged forward and grabbed a couple. "I'd rather have these. I mean they match… and we can both have one, because you're my… my…" she swallowed once more wondering how her mouth had gone so dry. "… _boyfriend_. I don't want anyone to uh, make moves on you! You know how popular you are with the uh, girls…with these everybody will know we're together, including our, uh, friends… just like you wanted!" She was rambling now and she knew it, but she didn't know what else to do._

_Hitsugaya stood there, baffled. Had she just said 'boyfriend'? He heard them giggling and whispering and sighed. He quickly gathered his thoughts and smiled sweetly to Yuuki, and couldn't help but smirk a tiny bit as she shuddered. "That sounds like a grand idea, but why don't you just pick something, I know you want some new clothes!" His tone was more forceful than he had intended, but he didn't care._

"_Oh no, no it's okay. I know your Father won't approve of buying me clothes again. I mean, you're too nice. This will do. Really." Yuuki urged and pulled him by the arm towards the cash register. _

Yuuki chuckled as she remembered the workers gushing at her 'sincerity' and how she was 'oh-so-considerate.' "It's okay. I'll just explain to her that it was a very expensive place. Or that I didn't need new clothes." Yuuki reassured. She ran a finger along the charm, and turned to look at him. He was staring intently into his cell phone. "Let me see that."

"I don't think so." Hitsugaya replied airily, giving her a look.

Yuuki snatched the phone and ran forward before he could try and catch her. She waved the phone at him teasingly, and said, "See? Yuuki always gets what she wants. Don't you know not to mess with me yet?" To her dismay, he seemed unimpressed. Shrugging, she reached into her pocket and pulled out the identical phone strap.

Hitsugaya groaned. "Don't tell me you're putting _that_ on my phone. It's precious, okay? It's not a regular cell phone that you _humans_ use, it's an important device used by Shiniga—.."

"Oh be quiet!" Yuuki commanded, hoping to sound as authoritative as possible. She looped the strap through and handed the cellphone to him. "It looks a lot better now."

He stared at the sickeningly cute mess of glittery hearts and let out a great sigh. He knew Matsumoto would have a field day when she saw this. "This looks stupid. I don't know if you haven't figured it out yet, but I am a **male** and a _Shinigami._" He began to fumble with the strap in an attempt to get it off.

Yuuki reached over and placed a hand over his. "No! What are you doing?!"

"Remove your hand."

She stole a quick glance at him, raising a brow at his sudden discomfort. She kept her hand there, wondering how long he would endure it. It wasn't long before he reached over and did it himself. Yuuki feigned a look of hurt.

"Er…" Hitsugaya looked at her, a little confused. "I didn't mean to offend you."

"These things are usually done between couples, here in the human world." Yuuki explained.

"I realize." Hitsugaya replied dryly. "Holding hands is a sign of affection."

"No, I mean matching things… like these!" Yuuki retorted, giving him a little shove. Hitsugaya remained unfazed. As an afterthought she added, "Besides, who would want to hold hands with _you_?"

"You did. A minute ago. Also, you'd be surprised at all the girls who gawk at me, your sister included." He gave her a smug smirk.

"That's because of your white hair."

His mouth hung open in mild surprise. He hadn't expected that, but he quickly recovered. "So… you're not denying that you tried to hold my hand?" With her silence he added, "It's okay, I won't go any further. I mean it's probably embarrassing you al—.."

"I really didn't want to do this, Toushirou." Yuuki interjected with a loud sigh as if she now had to commit to cruelty. "I thought maybe I could let it slide by just this once. I was clearly stopping you from your heinous actions that could have shattered our friendship. Now, I find it a bit weird that you've mistaken that action for something of affection… are you already in love with me?"

"Yes. I am so in love with you." He claimed sarcastically, shaking his head. "What's this about 'heinous actions' that could have 'shattered our friendship.' I wasn't aware you possessed such an extensive vocabulary. I'm impressed."

_Ugh… this guy never gives up!_ Yuuki thought to herself and crossed her arms. "Anyway, what I was saying was that since in the human world these are used for couples, and we are obviously not… so we can just use it to signify our friendship. We're friends, right?"

"Uh, right." Hitsugaya shrugged. "Why do I have to have this stupid thing on my phone? Isn't it enough if I say we're friends?"

"No!" Yuuki answered. "If you don't use this, I won't be friends with you. This is symbolic."

He rolled his eyes at her childishness. "Symbolic of what?"

"I don't know yet. It'll come, eventually. I promise you won't regret it." She gave him a smile that she hoped would look mysterious. "I will now disappear, and by that I mean leave because we're already at the intersection."

"I can walk you home. It's getting dark, little girls shouldn't walk home alone."

"Do I look like a child to you? I can go home by myself, thanks." Yuuki retorted haughtily. She ran ahead a little and waved to him. "Remember, you won't regret it! I promise!"

_Whatever._ Hitsugaya thought to himself, regarding the phone with indifference. He reached over to take it off, but stopped. For some reason he couldn't bring himself to. It wasn't like he really was in love with her, they were just friends and that was that. According to Rule #642 under Shinigami and Human Contact, it strictly cautioned against human-shinigami relationships. He shook his head. "Why am I thinking about that? I am a Captain! Captains cannot have relationships in terms of love. Love is a waste of time." He said to himself and gave one of the cushiony hearts a squeeze which seemed to reply to him in disappointment with a wheezing 'pshhh.' He sighed loudly and without thinking twice, turned the phone off and shoved it into his pant pocket.

----

Yuuki skipped forward, humming to herself. She wasn't quite sure why she felt so ridiculously happy, especially after all those embarrassing moments at the mall… but nonetheless she felt _very_ clever. And charming. Kind of like one of those mysterious (and inhumanely pretty) actresses in dramas. Okay, so maybe she obsessed over them a little too much… but a girl could dream, right?

"Mm… you have a lot of spirit power."

Yuuki stiffened, a sudden realization dawning over her as she stared at the shadow cast over her. _Spirit power?_ She turned slowly to face whatever it was and gaped in shock.

A hollow.

Not just any hollow… it was easily as big as a skyscraper with goat-like hind legs and huge claws. She stared at the hideous mask that seemed to be made of bone. It was the same bone-like mask that all hollows seemed to sport, only this one looked oddly _human_. She stumbled backward, unsure of what to do.

"Where are you going?" His orange eyes pierced into hers and suddenly she could feel something, like an aura blanket around her, compressing… suffocating. She fell onto her knees with a strangled cry. _Ichigo. _She mentally called out for her brother, hoping that he'd somehow receive her telepathic thoughts and come to her rescue. She watched in muted fear as the thing shook with hearty laughter that rumbled the ground. Her eyes were glued to the ground, unable to raise her head. The stifling force was making it hard for her to breath.

"Don't be so scared. I'll make it quick and painless." The hollow spoke with cruel insincerity, rumbling laughter erupting once more from its ugly form. Yuuki cried out in shallow gasps as its claws scraped the ground beside her with a sickening screech, as if to taunt her. She could feel the aura tighten around her. Did the hollow want to suffocate her to death?

Yuuki screwed her eyes shut and she could feel hot tears stream down her face. She pressed her forehead to the pavement, mind conflicting with the fact that she was so helpless and the fact that she was probably going to die. If she were Karin, she could probably beat up the Hollow single-handedly with a soccer ball… and if she were Yuzu, well, Yuzu would never get into trouble like this. But no, she was Yuuki… stupid Yuuki who had ran into a hollow and could do nothing about it but pathetically hope her brother would come and save her. Her brother who was busy with who knows what kind of Shinigami activities he took part in. His job as a Shinigami was to systemtically eliminate all Hollows that ventured into the human world. Surely he would come to her rescue, right? _Ichigo. Please._ She begged once more, urging something to happen.

As if the higher powers had answered her, Yuuki suddenly found herself flung backward. The suffocating force had been lifted and she gasped for air. She heard the hollow roar, but it seemed distant with the blood rushing in her ears.

Yuuki looked upto see a flurry of a black and white, mingling together as the robe whipped around him from the sudden impact.

_Ichigo came to save me._

-----

**A/N**: Erm, kind of a weird transition in my opinion but oh well… I like how it turned out so it's all good. I unfortunately only got one review for my last chapter (though still very thankful for it) Thanks SilentSS for the review. For all you other readers out there – please review! It's very encouraging if you do so. :)


	8. Chapter 8

He wasn't sure why he had decided to follow her home. It wasn't stalking; really… he just wanted to make sure she got home safely. Guilt? That must be it. No, it was a precaution so Ichigo wouldn't come and kill him if something happened to her.

… Though he wouldn't be surprised if something did, considering that smart mouth of hers. He mentally convinced himself that it was for the safety of _his_ life, and not hers.

----

Yuuki looked up to see a flurry of a black and white, mingling together as the robe whipped around him from the sudden impact.

_Ichigo came to save me. _Yuuki thought and watched as the Hollow skidded backward into a tree and she felt a swell of pride inside her. Her brother was so powerful.

"Captain!"

_Captain? _Yuuki turned to see Matsumoto rushing towards them in a similar black kimono. Had her brother reached captain status already? Well, he probably could, considering his power. She had watched him fight on occasion and really, it was impressive. Her brother turned to look at her

… only it wasn't her brother.

"Toushirou?" She said incredulously. His sea green eyes had suddenly turned a fierce shade of emerald and she could feel her insides churn with fear.

"Get back." He muttered, and quickly turned to face the recovering hollow. Yuuki turned to glance at Matsumoto… who was now fending off more hollows that looked exactly the same. "GET BACK!" Hitsugaya roared and brought his arm back, swinging it in a wide arc at incoming hollows.

Frightened with his sudden outburst, Yuuki nodded furiously and struggled to stand, that aura seemed to have drained the energy out of her. She took a couple steps backward, unsure of where to go. Everywhere she looked there were identical hollows.

"Sit upon the frozen heavens, Hyourinmaru!"

She could feel the air tingle around her, the weather was miraculously changing. Black clouds swept over the area, as if a storm was coming. A sudden aura emitted around Hitsugaya and a bladed chain materialized out of nowhere to settle in his hand. He swung it mercilessly at one of the hollow-clones which immediately turned to ice. Dozens more jumped towards him in a swarm, blotting out the sky.

_There's too many… _Yuuki thought as she watched Matsumoto and Hitsugaya fighting them. They only seemed to multiply as they were destroyed. She stood there in blind fear as a group of them came towards her. Matsumoto and Hitsugaya already had their own to fight… what was she to do? Yuuki desperately wished that she was skilled at judo, taekwondo, martial arts… even soccer! The group of hollow-clones neared her, roaring and snapping their jaws together like they couldn't wait to enjoy her as a meal. She closed her eyes and hated herself for being such a chicken, but only met with a whoosh of cold air. She opened her eyes and watched in amazement as an ice-like dragon lunged towards them, freezing them all in the blink of an eye. Hitsugaya landed soundly beside her, chain still in hand. She turned to see two other Shinigamis that she'd never seen before fending off the clones. She felt her heart sink a little when she did not see Ichigo among them.

"Where is it? Where did it go?" Hitsugaya demanded, taking quick glances around the area.

Yuuki was just about to ask what he was talking about when she found herself flung to the side again just as the orange-eyed hollow's fist came crashing down into the ground, mere seconds before she had been standing there. She fidgeted but Hitsugaya held her down with his weight. He looked at her tear-stricken face and said calmly, "Get out of here as fast as you can."

Yuuki nodded numbly. He got up and so did she. She stared at the ruined area and looked for a clear pathway to run through. She turned to look at Hitsugaya, but he was already a ways off. It was then she saw the most amazing thing she'd ever seen.

"Bankai!" Ice crawled up his arm and leg, forming wings on his back. A tail of ice whipped furiously around him, narrowly missing her head. Normally she would have screamed and told him to watch it, but she was engulfed by a sense of awe. She watched as his wings pumped up and down and he began to _fly_. With powerful strokes he flew forward near the ocean that was just off in the distance. "Daiguren Hyourinmaru!"

She didn't know what it meant, or what was going to happen, but she did know that it was incredibly cool. She ran forward, wanting to get a closer glimpse. The grass near the water turned to ice and the water began swirling around him. Tendrils of some kind of power twirled with the water, as even more ice formed.

But suddenly, he began to falter.

Yuuki let out a yelp. Was he using too much power? If he used too much power, wouldn't his wings go away and wouldn't he crash into the sea? "Toushirou!" She screamed, unsure if he could even hear her over the massive swirling of water. He turned to her then; the ice dragon flying from his sword and came straight at her. Yuuki stared as its snapping jaws inched towards her. _Has he lost his mind?_

To her surprise, the dragon flew over her and landed with a crash just a bit behind her, engulfing the freaky hollow-human. Yuuki watched in terror as the shattered ice came singing towards her. _Oh God! He's going to kill it and me at the same time!_ But suddenly her view changed. Hitsugaya had seemingly materialized out of nowhere; shielding her from the flying pieces of sharp ice.

"Didn't I tell you to get away from here?" Hitsugaya said dryly through laboured breaths

There was a dull silence as Yuuki was unsure of how to reply. She watched pathetically as mini shards of glass fell to the ground and then back at his face. He seemed like he had aged another five years with all the heavy breathing he was doing. Yuuki couldn't help but feel a sudden sense of sadness and gratefulness. She lunged forward, wrapping her arms around his torso and began laughing and sobbing at the same time. "I'm s-sorry, I just.. it was s-so.. I thought you were going to kill me!"

"Captain! Are you ok—err, oh." Matsumoto came rushing forward and stopped mid-sentence as she viewed the scene.

Hitsugaya stared at her blankly, a little confused with her behavior. He looked down at her. "You're getting my robe dirty." Hitsugaya commented, ignoring Matsumoto.

Yuuki stopped crying backed up a little, staring at the robe that was now marred with dirt stains and tears. "I'm sorry." She repeated, feeling like a fool. Yuuki wiped at her face with her hands.

He stared at her, unimpressed as she made her face even dirtier and grimier then before. He glanced at his captain robe and shrugged. _Oh well, it's already dirty. _He thought to himself silently as he took a fistful of it and gingerly wiped at her face with it.

Matsumoto, Ikkaku and Yumichika stared at the pair, mouth agape.

"Isn't that Ichigo's..?" Yumichika started.

"Sister? Yeah." Ikkaku interjected, feeling rather disturbed.

"You mean the one that he.."

"Made her cry? Yeah." Ikkaku answered once more.

"And he's wiping her face with… with…"

"His captains robe." Matsumoto said bluntly, as she stared at the confusing duo. Hell, Hitsugaya never _ever_ let her touch his captain's robe.

"Do you think they're..?" Yumichika trailed off, not really wanting to say it.

"No way." Ikkaku stated calmly in a hushed whisper. "Captain Hitsgaya would never.."

"But look at him.." Yumichika protested, pointing a shaky finger in his direction. "His eyes.."

"No." Matsumoto said stiffly. "It's impossible. We all know the consequences and Captain Hitsugaya abides by the rules all the time."

Hitsugaya glanced at the three who were talking to each other in hushed whispers and glared. All three of them stopped talking simultaneously.

Yuuki also stared and swatted his hand away, embarrassed.

"What?" Hitsugaya asked, annoyed.

"Don't you get it? They think that you're… we're… you know!"

Hitsugaya backed up a little, a faint blush overcoming his features. He shook his head (a little more than necessary) and stood up. "That's ridiculous." He said calmly. "Whatever."

Yuuki struggled to stand up. With a sigh, Hitsugaya helped her up. "Are you sure you can walk?"

"Yes, thank you!" She yanked her arm out of his grasp and teetered on the balls of her feet before falling. Hitsugaya just gave her another annoying smirk.

"Maybe one of us should carry you." Yumichika stated suggestively, raising his brows at Hitsugaya. He gave Matsumoto one of those 'I'm-confirming-our-theory' looks.

Matsumoto seemed to get the hint. "Yeah, you don't seem fit to walk right now, Yuuki. That reiatsu was pretty strong and judging by how fast I got here, that hollow probably caused some damage."

"Uh.." Yuuki stammered, and looked around. "No, I think I can walk."

"No, really. You should be carried." Ikkaku confirmed, staring at her intensely. "It's not good to walk because you might lose the feeling in your legs and.." He rambled on, using words that she'd never heard before. She certainly did not want to lose the feeling in her legs… did that mean she could be paralyzed?

Yuuki gave a slow nod. _Was this a trap_?

"I'm sure Captain Hitsugaya would be more then willing to help you." Yumichika said quickly, giving Hitsugaya a shove towards her.

_So it was. _Yuuki thought dryly, and glanced at Hitsugaya who looked rather peeved. "No, I don't think so. I mean he seems tired after all that.. bank.. junk."

"Bankai." Hitsugaya corrected. "Yes, I am tired. So one of you three do it."

Ikkaku looked triumphant and gave Yumichika a 'told-you-so' glance.

"Go ahead Yuuki, why don't you pick?" Matsumoto suggested, hoping that she wouldn't have to carry her.

Yuuki glanced wearily at the three shinigami. Matsumoto would be her first choice, if not for her huge chest that could pass as life threatening. Besides, extra weight would probably be bad for her back. That's what her dad always said, anyway.

She turned her gaze towards Ikkaku, frowning at his creepy smile. He seemed like a gangster or sex offender. _Definitely not._

"That one." Yuuki pointed towards Yumichika. "The guy with the freaky eyelashes."

"No." Yumichika stated. "I can't possibly carry you; I'm far too beautiful for some petty job like that."

"It was your idea." Hitsugaya scoffed.

Yuuki attempted to stand, an unreadable expression on her face. She felt extremely gross after crying for an extended period of time and practically being trampled in the dirt, grass and pavement a couple hundred times. Hitsugaya rushed to her side to help her, and for that she was grateful (again). She wanted to go home and see Ichigo and quite possibly kick his face in for not saving her life and almost leaving her to die. She suddenly felt very tired.

"Let's just go home."

**A/N:** Again, weird transition but whatever. I actually wrote most of this chapter right after the other one – so I hope the flow isn't TOO bad. Please please review. :)

Also, I was so happy when my last chapter received 6 reviews! Thank you guys for taking the time to review!!

**OcGoddess: **Thanks for your positive comments! I'll try updating once a week or so. (Probably every weekend!)  
**b a y o – b a y o:** Aw, I'm so touched that it's the first one you've commented on. XD It makes me feel rather proud! Thank you!

**WarIsKind**: No problem, thank you for the review!

**SilentSS: **Glad to see you're still here, please keep reading… thanks!  
**Narutoske:** Thanks, I'll try to update as soon as possible.

**erina:** Oh, glad to see you're back! Thanks for the review!


	9. Chapter 9

Yuuki stared blankly at the stars, drumming her fingers along the roof. She sat there with a blanket wrapped around herself (despite the warm weather) and sighed loudly. _Ichigo is gone. _She thought dully as she remembered the conversation only hours before.

---

"_When I said home, I meant my house." Yuuki stated with irritation as she glared at the front entrance to Orihime's home. _

"_We need to take precautions. What if another hollow comes after you?" Matsumoto explained kindly. _

"_My dad will worry. Besides, I have Ichigo to protect me from those kind of things." Yuuki answered._

"_Uh, kind of a bad time to say this but… Ichigo is gone." Ikkaku interjected with a slightly worried face._

_Yuuki just stood there. Gone? "Gone?" She repeated her thoughts and turned to look sharply at Ikkaku. "What do you mean he's 'gone'?" _

"_He's training. There's some matters that need to be dealt with soon. Or will be happening soon, anyway." He explained vaguely so as not to reveal any details._

"_Oh." She said softly, wondering if that was the reason why Ichigo hadn't come to save her. She blinked a few tears away, feeling a tinge of betrayal. "What matters?" She questioned, and glanced around at the few Shinigami who averted her gaze. _

"_We can't say." Hitsugaya spoke up, with a grim expression. _

"_Okay fine. When will he be back? Does my dad know? What about Karin, Yuzu?" Yuuki asked in a flurry of questions._

"_We don't know when he'll be back, but you can't tell any of them. You're the only one who knows."_

_---_

_You're the only one who knows._

The words replayed colorlessly in her mind. If she was the only one who knew, then what would her family think? Yuzu would be worried, Karin would probably try to locate Ichigo and her father… well, he'd probably think he was on some five day rendezvous with Rukia. She wondered how her dad could be so carefree at times. Ichigo wasn't the only one to have left for training, she had later been informed that his friends Orihime and Chad were also gone.

"Matsumoto's looking for you." A voice drawled from behind her.

Yuuki turned to face Hitsugaya. She could recognize his satirical voice anywhere. He was clad in a black shirt and dark denim jeans, normal attire in comparison to his shinigami robes. She let out another sigh and tiredly asked, "What for?"

"What do you think? She wants you to test out some new food." He answered boredly. She expected him to leave, but to her surprise he took a few steps towards her and sat down beside her. "It can wait." He stated for her.

She nodded in agreement. "Yeah."

"Are you okay? You didn't look so happy when you heard the news."

"Naturally." Yuuki stated dryly. She thought about what she said for a moment, and as an afterthought she added. "I think I'm turning into you. Your sarcastic remarks are rubbing off on me."

"I think it's the other way around. Your mean comments are rubbing off on _me_." Hitsugaya replied.

"That wasn't nice." Yuuki said and sucked on her teeth as if thinking of a witty reply.

"See?" He looked at her with the faintest trace of a smirk on his face, and raised his brows, provoking her to say something.

She had walked right into that one. She coughed and pretended to clear her throat. "Still offended about that white hair comment, I see."

Hitsugaya stared at Yuuki, who stared back at him with an impish smile. "Your hair doesn't look so hot either. You wear the same hairclip everyday… there's such a thing as variety you know."

Yuuki's smile disappeared nearly instantaneously and set into a grim line. Her eyes flashed with what Hitsugaya thought was anger and settled into an eerie calm. He had gone too far, he thought. He knew hair was important when it came to girls, or so stated by Matsumoto herself.

"It was a gift from my mom." She answered shakily, and unclipped it from her hair. She touched it gingerly, as if too much pressure would break it. She held it out to him and he took it wordlessly, slightly disorientated with the whole situation.

"She died." Yuuki stated evenly. Her face conveyed no emotions.

"Sorry." He replied, giving her an apologetic glance. "I didn't know." He felt like such a jerk. Their carefree banter had suddenly turned upside down because he had slipped a comment without thinking properly.

"How could you have?" She asked rhetorically, eyes downcast.

"I guess… but I shouldn't have said that about your hair. I mean it looks nice all the time. I was just being immature." He cringed slightly at the word 'immature', for his entire life as a Shinigami he had been trying to stray away from that, and yet he had said it himself. He wished she would look at him, he wasn't sure if she was crying or not.

"It's fine. I'm used to it." She said softly. "Karin and I used to fight a lot after she died. She told me I was being too 'clingy' and that I should just throw this hairclip away. That I should forget about mom. But how can I throw it away?" She turned away as she remembered that horrible argument she'd had with Karin.

---

"_What is wrong with you?!" Karin shouted, roughly shoving Yuuki's crying form over. "Stand up! Get up! You're not sick so get up!"_

_Yuuki stumbled over, fisting her hands into the carpet. "You don't know anything." She choked, tears dripping down the bridge of her nose. _

_It had been four years since her mother's death and today was the anniversary. The Kursoaki family had gone to visit their mother's grave, except for her and Karin because she was sick._

"_We have to go visit mom. You're so selfish, Yuuki!" Karin screamed._

"_You didn't see her die." Yuuki answered hoarsely, glaring at her sister._

"_So what if I didn't? All you do is stare at that stupid hairclip mom gave you and cry all the time. Do you think that will bring her back alive? We're all sad, but you, you're the only one who makes a huge deal about it… why can't you just deal?! Even Yuzu isn't crying anymore! You're the oldest of us sisters, what is wrong with you?! It's been four years!"_

"_She barely remembers mom." Yuuki replied bitterly. "You barely remember her too." _

_Karin came at her then, and yanked the hairclip from her hands. She had begun to march over to the garbage can when the door had opened and the rest of the Kurosaki family arrived. Ichigo had stopped Karin and scolded her for her behavior._

_---_

"I think she's just jealous." Hitsugaya said slowly, unsure if he was saying the right thing.

"No." She answered. "She feels sorry for me. I haven't exactly been able to move on, you see."

"Then you should."

She looked at him, surprised and slightly hurt. She wasn't expecting that answer from him. She had thought he would be comforting, but instead he had gone and thrown it in her face. Perhaps what she thought of him was just an illusion.

"You shouldn't cling to something that's gone. It'll only put strain on yourself, and hurt you in the end."

She thought about what he had said for a moment. It made sense. It was logical but she wasn't a logical type of person anyway. "It would be the logical thing to do." She said, voicing her own thoughts. "But when you lose someone who you really love, you'll see… it's not something you can just forget and be done with it."

His gaze dropped to the ground as he thought about what would have happened if Hinamori had actually died the day Aizen faked his death. He felt his insides coil, and unconsciously fisted his hands. He could feel the edges of the gold clip biting into his hands and a slight flare of anger at the thought of Aizen. If his attempt to kill Hinamori made him so angry, what would he have done if he had successfully killed her? He shook his head, willing the thoughts to go away. Hinamori was alive and that was that. He glanced at Yuuki's hairclip that was still in his hand. He traced the intricate designs on the heart-shaped clip, and impulsively reached over towards Yuuki and brushed the few strands away from her face and clipped it in place.

Yuuki stared at him oddly.

Hitsugaya swallowed, and dropped his arm rather quickly. "Way to ruin my cool moment there." He offered vaguely, making things up as he went. "It was supposed to pass off as a silent understanding."

"Oh." Yuuki answered. She smiled faintly.

_Oh good, she bought that. _Hitsugaya thought to himself and pretended to stretch his arms. He leaned back, propped on his elbows to look up at the darkened sky hoping Yuuki wouldn't mention anything further.

"So your Bankai thing was pretty cool." Yuuki said quickly, changing the subject. "If I was a Shinigami, could I do that too?"

"Not really. Every Shinigami has a different zanpakuto. Who said you were going to be a Shinigami anyway?" He answered airily.

Yuuki ignored his question. "What's a zanpakuto?"

"A zanpakuto is a Shinigami's sword. They're an extension of our souls, each one is different… usually to match with the owner's personality." Hitsugaya explained.

"Oh, so yours must be annoying and sarcastic." Yuuki proclaimed.

"Good thing Hyourinmaru can't hear you right now." He replied impassively.

"Hyoruinmaru?"

"My zanpakuto. It's name is Hyourinmaru." He clarified.

"That's kind of dumb. You name your swords?"

"No. We need to know their name to reach shikai, which is the first level of release." He answered with a hint of annoyance.

"How do you become one? The whole release thing is so cool. Especially bankai. I wish I could do that. " Yuuki replied with nonchalance, a smile gracing her lips.

"You have to get accepted into the Academy, and bankai is hard to achieve. Basically only the shinigami Captains can do it. There are a few exceptions though, like your brother." Hitsugaya explained.

"That doesn't sound too bad. So if I became a Shinigami, does that mean I can fight with Ichigo?" She asked. "Maybe then I'll know where he disappears to half the time."

"No. Ichigo isn't a real shinigami, uh…" He trailed off, not wanting to explain the whole Rukia-Ichigo situation. "He's a substitute shinigami for certain reasons that I can't tell you. If you were to become a Shinigami, you get placed into one of the thirteen divisions. I'm the Captain of the tenth division and Matsumoto is my vice captain."

"Why are there so many divisions?" She glanced at the sky and counted thirteen stars just for fun. "Oh! Is it because you have like, different powers and stuff?"

Hitsugaya sighed loudly. He was getting tired of explaining everything. "Let's just say Shinigami's are a lot more complicated then you think."

"Not really. All they do is kill hollows, am I right?" Yuuki leaned back and lay down on the roof.

"No. Our job is to mediate the souls that need to enter Soul Society and yes, take care of any interruptions such as hollows." Hitsugaya answered briefly, and also leaned back with his head resting on his arms.

"Soul Society?"

"You're really clueless, aren't you?" Hitsugaya said.

"I'd rather be clueless then arrogant." Yuuki replied with a frown.

He ignored her comment and chose to answer her previous question. "Soul Society is where you go after you die."

She thought about it for a moment, and a concept popped into her head. "Do you live there too?"

"Yes."

"Does that mean you were once a human?"

"Yes." He answered emotionlessly.

"So once upon a time… you were a human, huh! I wish I knew you then. Maybe you'd be less cocky."

"Please." He scoffed. "I'm perfectly fine the way I am."

He stole a quick glance at her to see her reaction, and saw a faint smile. She turned to look at him.

"You know…" Yuuki started, her smile broadened. "Remember when I said that it would mean something?"

"Huh?" Hitsugaya questioned, giving her a distracted look. "Oh, that phone strap."

"Yeah." She answered.

"What about it?"

"I figured out what it means now." She stated brightly.

He gave her an odd look, hoping she wouldn't say something equally ridiculous as the time she suggested this stupid idea.

"It represents the day you saved my life."

It was his turn to smile. It was faint, but Yuuki caught it and her smile turned into an all out grin.

"So if I had died today… I would have gone to Soul Society, huh? I guess we could be friends there. That's a comforting thought about death, at least."

He hated to ruin it.

"Not exactly," he said slowly. "Shinigamis live in a different district, we're situated in Seireitei while citizens live in Rukongai." He watched her smile falter and felt a pang of regret stab at him. But to his surprise, she was smiling again.

"I'll just become a Shinigami then! Then I get to have a cool sword too… though the uniforms are kind of weird. I mean we're in modern times, not an ancient dynasty! I guess I'll just modify it a bit… you're allowed to do that right?"

Hitsugaya watched incredulously as she rambled on about Shinigami attire. He listened to her joyous rendition of her plans. Yuuki began to laugh and apologized for her own silly ramblings. He wondered how someone could be so cheerful after almost being killed. _Well, this was Yuuki. _He thought to himself. He shrugged and looked over towards Yuuki who was still laughing. He couldn't help it…

He laughed with her.

---

**A/N**: I'm just whipping through these chapters super fast. It seems that crazy writer's block I suffered a month or so ago has finally left the building. I really like this chapter and I hope you guys do too… don't forget to review!

On another note, you won't believe how happy I was when I saw **five** reviews in one day for chapter eight. Thanks to all of you who have been reviewing! Also, thanks for adding me to a community Ugly.Beautiful!

**REPLIES**

**TideDrop: **I'll be updating once a week… I hope that's quick enough for you! I don't want any broken bones. :(

**Mind Walking Rabid Squirrel**: Whoa, you're back! I thought I'd perhaps lost your interest! Thanks so much for the review and positive comments!

**Megomi**: Haha, thank you!

**b a y o – b a y o: **Yuuki's age is around 12-13. Thanks for your interest! I'm sure a lot of people are curious.

**SeireiteiBadAss**Haha thank you. ;)

**NeverGoodbyeRoxas:** Ahh, thank you for the refreshing comment! I've tried to stray away from the typical shy-girl/bad-girl image that a lot of the OC characters x Hitsugaya seem to portray. I've had this character in my mind for a while now (well, this whole story actually ), but I never took the initiative to actually write it until now. I try not to draw too much attention to the fact that Yuuki is Ichigo's sister but, later on it will play an important role. Thanks so much for all your input!

**SilentSS**: Thanks so much for your support!


	10. Chapter 10

"What is it?" Yuuki questioned and poked the 'delightful surprise' Matsumoto had prepared for them. She examined it closely. It looked like jello with hairy cheese sprinkled on top, finished with a thick layer of chocolate sauce.

Hitsugaya gave her a worried look. "Don't touch it. It might be poisonous."

Yuuki's eyes widened and quickly withdrew her hand. "How does she think of these things?"

"Beats me." He replied, crossing his arms. "I'm sure Orihime's kitchen of doom was an inspiration."

"How is it?!" Matsumoto's sing-song voice could be heard from the other room.

"Very good!" Yuuki answered quickly.

"What did you do that for?" Hitsugaya whispered fiercely, giving her an alarmed look.

"Insulting a chef's creations is discouraging. Trust me. You won't believe how upsetting it is. Sometimes my family isn't quite well-mannered." She muttered.

"Isn't that a good thing?" He asked. "Besides, what if she comes back to check it?"

She pushed the plate towards him with an impish smile. "Quick, take a bite before she comes."

He gave the plate a disgusted look. "You eat it. She wanted you to test it out anyway. It could be deadly."

"See? That's the point. You're a Shinigami so surely you can't die from eating this." She pushed the plate closer towards him still.

He pushed it back towards her so roughly that the jello-y concoction slithered onto one side of the plate and coiled back to its rightful place. "Shinigami's can die from fatal wounds. I'm certain this could be lethal for me." He spoke in the most convincing matter possible. "You eat it. Take one for the team."

"What team?" She shot him a confused look.

"Team Hitsugaya."

"Team Yuuki, you mean." She corrected. "You know, if you answered that right I _just_ might have eaten it."

He sighed loudly and propped an elbow on the table. "Here, if you die… I'll guarantee you a spot in the Academy."

She tilted her head to one side as if in deep thought. "Hmm… no thanks!" She answered. "I'd rather live then die to be a Shinigami."

Footsteps could be heard from the hallway. They both exchanged horrified glances.

"If Matsumoto is in a bad mood after this, I am blaming you." Hitsugaya whispered, glancing at the connecting hallway and then back towards Yuuki.

"Okay fine. I'm accustomed to these types of food anyway. I have a strong stomach so technically I'm not going--.."

"Just eat it, she's coming!"

She nodded and took a quick spoonful and shoved it in her mouth, forcing herself to swallow.

Matsumoto sauntered into the kitchen. "Sooo… how's my latest dessert coming along?" She glanced at the plate with a smile of approval as she saw a missing piece.

"Great. Delicious." Hitsugaya said with a forced smile and began stirring the odd desert with his spoon.

She gave them a smug smile and leisurely walked back. "Make sure to finish it off."

He waited for what seemed like ages before asking, "How was it?"

"Surprisingly good." Yuuki answered, astonished.

"Seriously?" He asked; a look of bewilderment on his face.

"Yeah, try some." She pushed the plate towards him with a nod.

He took a spoonful and pretended he was going to eat it. Yuuki watched, eyes wide as the spoon traveled closer and closer… until he quickly pulled it away.

"Like I would fall for that."

"Damn." Yuuki muttered under her breath. "I thought my acting was flawless."

"Apparently not." He answered smugly and pushed the plate back towards her, "You eat the rest since you love it so much."

"No thanks. I think a guaranteed spot in the Academy is enough for me." She replied airily.

"That offer expired."

She looked at him hard, sucking on her teeth as if thinking of what to reply with. "You're not allowed to do that." She mustered pathetically.

"I do recall you clearly declining the offer." He replied.

She glared at him, tapping her fingers slowly on the desk in an eerie rhythm. "I did not."

Hitsugaya pitched his voice a little higher and mimicked what she had said, "Oh, I'm Yuuki! I'd rather live then to die a Shinigami!"

Yuuki burst out into fits of laughter, slamming her hand down on the table in the process. "Oh – my… god…" She stuttered, barely able to breathe through her own laughter. "That was… that was… _so_ worth it."

"I think there is something severely wrong with you." He stated suddenly, looking rather cross.

She stopped mid laugh. "What's that's supposed to mean?"

"I mean, you almost die from a Hollow and yet, you're here laughing like a crazy person."

Yuuki mumbled something that he couldn't quite catch, but it did seem like a 'way to kill the mood'.

"Do you enjoy my company that much?"

"Ew." She blurted out before she could stop herself. He feigned a look of hurt and turned away. "Uh, I mean ew because of this dessert. Bad aftertaste."

"Funny, you care about me so much." He turned to reveal his smiling face.

"You're creepy, I hope you know that."

He was just about to reply to her when Matsumoto tip-toed into the room. She took a glance at the untouched dessert.

"Isn't it good?" She asked slowly, pointing to the plate.

Silence.

"I thought you liked it?"

Silence.

Hitsugaya shot a frantic look towards Yuuki, urging her to do something.

It seemed to trigger a reaction.

"Oh… my stomach!" Yuuki shouted, clutching onto her stomach and falling off her chair.

Matsumoto quickly rushed to her side. "What's wrong, what's wrong?!" She shouted, crouching beside her.

Hitsugaya nearly flipped the table over in his earnest attempt to get to her. "Was it the hairy cheese?!"

"My stomach." Yuuki groaned, doubling over. "I think that… that… rei…" She paused for a moment, before continuing. "Reiatsu something affected me so much that my stomach seems to be hurting!"

Hitsugaya instantly recoiled as he heard this, a dull _'oh'_ coursing through his brain.

"Oh, don't eat anymore!" Matsumoto cooed, taking the plate away. She quickly discarded its contents and put the now empty plate in the dishwasher. "Yuuki, you should get some sleep. Do you want me to help…?"

"No. I can do it." Yuuki stated firmly, giving Matsumoto a dimpled smile.

Matsumoto nodded and left quickly, giving her a pitiful glance.

Hitsugaya waited for a minute or so before saying, "That was uncalled for."

"It worked, didn't it? I told you my acting skills were flawless."

He rolled his eyes and sighed loudly. _This girl…_

---

Yuuki shifted uncomfortably on the bumpy futon, wondering how Orihime slept on something like this. She turned slightly, to see Matsumoto sprawled unceremoniously on the ground.

Ikkaku and Yumichika had gone back to their house, or wherever they were staying. To be honest, she was glad they weren't staying with them. Even though they were shinigamis, she couldn't shake off their strange suggestive glances and increasingly frightening attitudes. She turned to her other side, silently wondering if Hitsugaya was better off. He had opted for sleeping in the living room. And her? She had thought this futon was the best choice, but evidently, it was not.

She could hear her stomach grumble and with a groan, she stood up, the wooden floor creaking underneath her. She frowned at the ground. She wasn't _that_ fat. Shrugging, she tiptoed over Matsumoto and made her way to the kitchen. _Maybe a midnight snack will do me good,_ she thought, rubbing her stomach.

She entered the living room, passing by the couch where she could see a blanketed Hitsugaya sleeping. Though, she couldn't see his face.

Not that she wanted to or anything.

Her hand hovered over the light switch, and then fell back down to her side, deciding that turning it on would wake everyone. She crept to the fridge.

"What are you doing?"

She nearly jumped out of her skin as she heard a voice. With a strangled yelp, she immediately turned to meet a piercing gaze. She backed up into the fridge. Hitsugaya was sitting on one of the dining chairs, with one foot on the chair and his arm sprawled lazily across it.

"Weren't you… what the…" She stuttered, regaining her composure. "Were you like, waiting for me there or something?!"

"Sure."

"Creep!" She muttered under her breath, eyes flickering to the ground.

"I was kidding." He answered with a sigh. "So what are you doing anyway? Isn't it too late for a snack?"

She glanced at the fridge behind her, letting go of her hold on the door with slight embarrassment. "I was, uh, thirsty."

"Uh huh." He replied, unbelieving.

"Okay, whatever. I was hungry… but now I lost my appetite after seeing _you_."

He flinched but recovered quickly. "Whatever, Miss Piggy."

Yuuki threw her hands up in the air with exasperation. "You know! It's people like you who make girls go anorexic!"

"You think you're any better?" He scoffed, just urging her to ask what he was talking about.

Unfortunately for her, she fell for the trap. "What's that supposed to mean?" Yuuki demanded.

"I mean, after seeing _your_ face, I'm sure a lot of people lose their appetite… ultimately leading to no consumption of food which then leads to eating disorders…"

Yuuki rubbed her temples. "Okay, just stop. You win."

"Seriously, hanging around you has turned me into a jerk." He said with a sigh.

"You've always been one." Yuuki retorted.

"Ouch."

She sluggishly made her way to the table and sat down on a chair across from him. "Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

"I can't sleep. But you should." He replied dully.

"I can't sleep either. The futon sucks."

Hitsugaya let out a muffled laugh.

"You _knew?!_" She whispered, jabbing a finger into his chest.

He took a hold of her hand. "Will you stop that? I swear, you have no manners…first you punch me and now you're doing all this. I mean if it's physical attention you yearn for…"

"Who's the one holding my hand?"

He abruptly let go and scowled. "I bet it was part of your calculations… or something."

"You're so silly." She said sweetly, and gave him an equally sweet smile.

His scowl deepened.

"Well, I'm going to sleep." Yuuki announced, and stood up, pushing the chair back.

"Good night and good riddance." He muttered.

"Good night." She answered.

He watched her move slowly at first, then quicken her pace, she was racing towards the… couch.

"HEY!" He shouted, bolting up from his seat and rushing towards her.

She sprang onto the couch, wrapping herself up in the blankets. "You're not sleeping so I'm going to use it!"

"Go sleep on the futon!" He attempted to take a hold of her, but only met with the slippery blanket. He groaned in frustration.

"Shut up! You'll wake Matsumoto!"

---

**A/N**: I tried. It didn't come out as well as I hoped it would, but oh well. I've got a few ideas for the next chapter so hopefully that one will come out better. Thank you all soo much for reviewing. Eight reviews in one chapter is really a breakthrough for me! I really enjoyed all of your comments – please keep reading and reviewing… I really would like to hear your thoughts!

**REPLIES** (I think I'll be doing these every chapter so uh, if you have any questions… feel free to ask in your review!)

**TideDrop**: Haha, I'm glad you enjoyed that. I can't say I can reveal any details about the Shinigami thing, though. ;)  
**erina**: Thank you very much! I'm not very good at writing fight scenes yet, so I'm glad to hear that from you. I didn't want to portray Yuuki as some hyped up bad-ass hollow destroyer so I gave her a more passive role. Hope that explains!

**Mind Walking Rabid Squirrel**: Oh, that really made my day. XD Thanks so much!

**Megomi:** Thank you, please keep reviewing!

**Ana**: Thanks for reviewing… I daresay I haven't had one of your reviews before! Always great to have new people reading my story.

**NeverGoodbyeRoxas**: Seriously, your comments were so nice. You pinpointed _exactly_ what I wanted to portray… I'm so glad someone caught on!

**SilentSS**: Haha, I'm surprised you're the only person to mention the hairclip… I thought it was rather touching myself. Thanks for the review!

**O.M.G**: Thank you!!


	11. Chapter 11

Hitsugaya awoke to a mass of strawberry blonde. Slightly disorientated, he shifted only to realize that his arm was pinned down by something _warm_. He shook his head and blinked a few times, trying to get his eyes to adjust to the dark so he could see what that thing was. He could feel his heartbeat quicken as he realized…

… that thing was Yuuki.

Alarmed, he desperately tried to understand what had happened. He could feel himself flush at their close proximity. His arm was curled around her abdomen and the other was jammed uncomfortably into the side of the couch. He screwed his eyes shut and let out a low groan. He vaguely remembered climbing onto the couch after increasing back pain from sleeping on the floor.

He had messed up. Big time.

Yuuki muttered something unintelligible beside him and rolled to one side, teetering dangerously over the edge. If she woke up, he would be given hell for not being able to explain how they got into _this_ situation. He sighed loudly, at least glad that Matsumoto wasn't up yet. By the looks of it, it was just about dawn.

He wondered what he should do. He contemplated letting her drop to the floor for stealing the couch in the first place, but that would only cause complications. How was he going to explain that he miraculously got on the couch without actually wanting to be? It was certain that he could not get out of this spot without waking her.

He felt like shooting himself.

With another low groan, he managed to wiggle his other arm free. If he could just maneuver around her… he struggled for a moment and then relaxed in defeat. It was no use. He let out a deep breath through his nostrils, peeved with his current situation. Never before had he been in such a rut. If he couldn't move… he stopped fidgeting and came up with a brilliant idea. If he couldn't move his human form, he wouldn't. With his free hand he fished around in his pant pocket for the soul candy and hastily swallowed it. He could feel the tingling sensation he always got when he reverted to his Shinigami form, and immediately got up from his gigai. He stretched, relieved when he could move freely and mentally giving himself a pat on the back. He wasn't called a prodigy for nothing.

Maneuvering around Yuuki, he slid off the couch and took a quick glance at 'their' sleeping form. He stood there for a few minutes, slightly disturbed with the idea that he had been lying in that position, so close to her, for such a long period of time. He had never been that close to Hinamori, let alone any female. Blinking a few times, he quickly slid one arm underneath Yuuki's legs and hooked the other around her shoulders. He would have to carry her to the futon… or something.

Increasingly frantic with his movements, he took a step forward, unsure of what to do next. He decided that the futon was probably the best choice and with small, cautious steps he shuffled over to the other room. He looked down at her, watching her head lull about from side to side and briefly wondered if her neck would snap off.

Yuuki stirred, wondering why she had that sudden feeling of _floating_.

Hitsugaya quickened his pace slightly, hoping she would just fall back asleep. He could feel her muscles tense in fear and stared at her in horror as her eyes snapped open.

She looked up at him, confused. "Toushirou?"

He remained silent.

"What's going…" She turned her head to see nothing but darkness, only a faint glimmer of light glinting off of his white hair and white… shinigami robe? She blinked. "Why are you…"

"It's hard to explain." He said quickly, taking a few more hurried steps.

It suddenly hit her, and Yuuki's eyes widened in terror. "That kimono… oh my God… I'm dead, aren't I?"

Hitsugaya stopped walking, baffled with the idea.

Yuuki reached up with a hand to cover her eyes. "I'm dead. That hairy cheese killed me, didn't it? You can tell me, I'm not going to cry or anything…"

He could feel his mouth muscles twitch to form a slight smile. "Yeah, I'm afraid so..," He ventured. He could feel her shaking.

"I died. I died. I'm dead right now. Oh God… does my family know? What about Ichigo?" Yuuki began babbling about her sudden death and he could swear that the few wet drops he felt on his arm were tears.

He bit back his laughter.

"How long until Soul Society?"

He reached the door and quietly pushed it open, "Not long." He murmured.

Yuuki could hear a creak and wondered what was going on. She could've sworn it was a door opening. _Probably the door to Soul Society_, she thought glumly. "Well, I'm glad you're here with me."

He looked down at her and raised an eyebrow. "Really..?"

"Yeah."

He took a few steps forward, making sure not to wake Matsumoto. "Sorry."

"For what?"

"We're here!" He stated and quickly threw her onto the futon.

Yuuki could feel her muscles tense as she could feel herself falling, no longer in the safety of Hitsugaya's arms. With a surprised cry, she braced herself for the ground… or whatever she was to meet. She could feel whatever beneath her coil up and spring back to its normal self.

It was unusually bumpy.

Yuuki opened her eyes and reached a hand out, to feel where she was. It felt oddly like… a futon. She sat up immediately, and took a look at her surroundings when he eyes adjusted to the dark. She actually _was_ on the futon. With an exasperated sigh, she realized what had happened. "Toushirou!!"

Silence. She peered into the darkness, and saw nothing. Where had he gone? She stepped over Matsumoto (who resembled a corpse as she slept) and made her way to the living room.

Hitsugaya was sleeping on the couch.

With a confused look, she ran over to him and began to shake him.

Hitsugaya pretended to sleep for a few moments and then groggily opened his eyes. "What?" He hissed.

"Come on now, drop the act."

He stared at her like she'd lost her mind.

"Oh, don't try to fool me." She jostled him some more and he sat up.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He rubbed his eyes.

"You were in your Shinigami outfit, remember? You were carrying me to Soul Society… well that's what you said. But you actually dropped me off at the futon…"

"I think you were dreaming." He said politely.

She grabbed onto his arm. "I wasn't dreaming! You know it!"

"I'm flattered that you remember my visual image so clearly that you are able to perceive it as real life." He said with a grin. He was making it up as he went, but it was incredibly entertaining to watch her desperation grow.

Yuuki flushed slightly. "What! I don't…"

"Me carrying you to Soul Society? I'll have you know that's strictly forbidden. Shinigami cannot be affiliated with where souls go; we just send them on their merry way. You seem to want such a close relationship with me… makes me wonder what other fantasies you come up with. Maybe saving you from more hollows? I'm pretty chivalrous, I guess…"

Yuuki smacked him on the shoulder. Hard.

He flinched. He wasn't expecting that.

"Okay, maybe it wasn't real… I just… I don't know anymore!" Yuuki answered, frustrated. "And, I don't have fantasies about you… that is ridiculous!" She stood up abruptly, loosening her hold on his arm. "I'm going home."

"It's still dark outside." He pointed out.

"I'm going home." She repeated and quickly gathered her dirty clothes from last night.

"Here, I'll walk you home!" He paused for a moment. "I mean, that's probably one of your fantasies too, right?"

"Shut up."

He gave her a half smile. "Whatever."

---

**A/N: **Short chapter, sorry! Thanks so much guys for your reviews. Please keep reading and reviewing. I've got the next chapter done so hmm, let's say… if this chapter hits 8-10 reviews I'll add the next chapter early.

No replies this time, sorry!


	12. Chapter 12

"Captain, let me see that!" Matsumoto demanded as she reached forward greedily towards his cell phone.

He snatched it away from her just in time, and heaved a sigh. He couldn't help but notice Ikkaku and Yumichika both had their eyes glued to the phone. They had arrived shortly after he had come back home from walking with Yuuki. If they had come just a half hour earlier, he would have had even more explaining to do. He sighed, he knew this day would come; it was inevitable as long as he had that stupid _thing_ on his cell phone.

"Is it from Yuuki? Is it? I bet it is!" Yumichika spoke quickly, breaking out into a grin. He turned to Ikkaku and whispered "See? I _knew_…"

Unfortunately for him, Hitsugaya overheard. "No. You know nothing." He hesitated for a moment before adding. "Well, maybe you know a thing or two about makeup. Circus makeup, that is."

It seemed to shut him up effectively, for all of two seconds. "Yeah, but where did you get it then?"

"I…" Hitsugaya faltered for a moment, wondering what he should say. If he admitted that this was Yuuki's doing, he would never live it down – and he didn't want them to know anyway. He inhaled and licked his lips. "I bought it myself." He offered pathetically.

"You bought this yourself?" Ikkaku asked in-between sputters of laughter. "You seriously expect us to believe that?"

"I didn't know my Captain had such girly tastes." Matsumoto added with a hint of mock surprise. "I always thought you were so _mature_ and _masculine_…"

"Just shut up."

---

"So? How was your sleepover with Orihime?" Karin asked.

"It was okay." Yuuki answered vaguely. "I mean, she made me try some of her new cooking creations." She added, just to seem convincing. Matsumoto had told her dad (and her dad had told Karin and Yuzu) that she had decided to sleepover at Orihime's house for some fun times. Whatever that meant.

Her walk home with Toushirou had been tense, she still wasn't sure what actually happened. Thankfully, she had arrived home early and had been able to change into new clothes without having to explain why her other clothes were caked in dirt. She loved the Kurosaki family for its bad habit of sleeping in.

"Oh, what this time?"

"Some kind of cake with hairy cheese and carrots. It was really strange." Yuuki replied, hoping it would pass as a plausible answer.

"That sounds gross." Karin stated and made a face.

"I should tell her to make it for your birthday. I'm sure your friends would enjoy it." Yuuki reached over to her bag (that wasn't too dirty) and threw it onto the desk. There was a jingling noise but she ignored it.

"Where did you get that?" Karin questioned and pointed to the conspicuous glittery heart that had been looped through Yuuki's home keys. Yuuki grabbed it quickly and shrugged.

"Uh, I thought it was cute so I bought it."

"No way, that's from like that boutique at the mall isn't it? I know you wouldn't buy anything like this. It's too expensive for your cheap tastes." Karin replied haughtily and took a step closer towards her closer. "Let me see."

"I didn't know you were actually capable of going to the mall." Yuuki answered sarcastically. It was a stab at Karin's tomboy image, and she ignored it.

"Whatever."

The tone Karin had said that in frightened Yuuki. It had remotely, no, absolutely resembled Hitsugaya. She turned slowly to look at her sister, wondering if she was somehow Hitsugaya in disguise. Shinigamis were capable of these kinds of things, weren't they?

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Karin addressed her like she had suddenly turned crazy.

"Oh nothing." Yuuki mumbled and hastily turned away. That _boy_ was invading her thoughts! "Don't you have some kind of soccer game to play?"

Karin seemed to jump out of her skin. "Oh god! I forgot!" She yelled and was just about to make her way out of the door when she stopped and frowned. "Do you know where Ichigo is?"

"No." Yuuki answered a bit too quickly, and received an odd glance from her sister. "I was gone all day remember?" It seemed to justify her response and satisfy Karin for she didn't mention it any further.

Instead she pried at an even worse scenario.

"How was your date?"

"What date? …Oh. It's not a date. We're just friends." Yuuki answered.

"So you're just friends?" Karin questioned and gave a quick glance to the cushiony hearts that Yuuki still held in her hand.

"Yeah."

"So I guess that means he's free game, then."

Yuuki looked towards her sister, mouth open in surprise. "What?"

"Nothing. I have to go play."

"Yeah." Yuuki agreed. She watched as her sister opened the door to her room, soccerball slung onto her back. "Oh, Karin?"

"Mmhm?"

"Focus on your soccer game. _Not_ on other game."

Karin gave a hearty laugh, craning her neck ever so slightly to give a small smirk towards her sister.

---

Hitsugaya walked idly down the street, hands stuffed into his pant pockets. He sighed loudly, moving his head from one side to the other with satisfying clicks of cracking joints. Maybe he really was getting old. Oh well, a good walk now and then was good for a bored mind and an old body. He watched impassively as a soccer ball came rolling down towards him, and on impulse stopped it with his foot before it reached the road. Kicking it up in the air, he caught it and stared at it intently. To him, soccer was just a waste of time. _Humans were so weird._ It was then he sensed another presence. He turned to see Yuuki's sister and for a moment wondered how she had got here until he realized that he was at the very intersection that led to Yuuki's house. Karin was her name. "This yours?"

"Y-yeah." Karin answered with a faint nod, staring at the good looking boy whom she'd seen at her house with her sister. She wanted to smack herself for stuttering.

"That was dangerous. Be more careful." He kicked the ball towards her and she caught it effortlessly.

Karin looked at the ball and then back towards him, only to see that he had already left.

---

Hitsugaya glanced at his cell phone and then at the diminishing sun. How long had he been sitting here? He heard the patter of feet.

He half hoped it was Yuuki. He hadn't seen her today and he secretly wondered if she was still mad about the whole Soul Society thing. He had contemplated going to her house, but was slightly alarmed with his thoughts, and had forcefully pushed them out of his head. He could hear someone cough and awkwardly turned to see who it was.

"You picked up my ball, didn't you?" Karin asked brightly, resembling her sister.

_Oh. Her sister._

"Yeah." He answered briefly, cell phone still in hand. He watched her eyes flicker towards his phone and then back to meet his eyes.

"Thanks!"

"You're welcome." He turned back to his phone, dialing a couple numbers.

"So, what school are you from?"

He could feel a headache coming on. "I'm not from any school."

"You know my sister, right?" Karin asked, taking a step closer to him.

Hitsugaya frowned at her antics and ignored her question. "I'm busy."

"That's not nice to ignore my question."

Her annoying ways surely had to have come from her sister. With all these prying questions, they must have shared a definite gene pool. "Go away."

"You can play soccer, can't you."

He looked towards her, only to see a group of kids advancing. Her question was more of a statement, which he found rather aggravating. "Who knows."

"We're having a game soon." Karin said quickly and gestured with an arm to her friends. "Will you play on our team?"

One of her friends pulled her towards them. He could hear them whispering.

"What is it?!" She asked loudly, clearly irritated.

"Don't give us that Kurosaki."

Hitsugaya couldn't help but raise a brow. They referred to her like she was one of the guys.

"Take a good look at him! He's blond!"

_Blond? _He had never gotten that one before. Maybe the kid was colourblind.

"His hairs bleached. And he has scary eyes."

He frowned at the comment. His hair was a hundred percent natural and he liked his eyes. They were a becoming shade of green, as Hinamori had always told him.

"Isn't he a gang member?"

He nearly scoffed at the comment, but kept his mouth shut. _A gang member? _This kid was getting himself into a worse situation every time he spoke.

"Don't invite someone like that on our team!"

Like he ever wanted to join.

"Besides, how could a midget like that be good at soccer?"

He could feel a flare of anger, and immediately snapped his head to attention. _Midget?! Had that human just called him a __**midget?**_ "What did you say?! Who the hell is a super-midget?! It's you!"

Karin jumped in almost immediately with a sheepish grin. "We didn't go that far."

He sighed loudly and stood up to leave. This was ridiculous.

"Hey! Wait up!"

He could hear Karin calling him but ignored her. He heard her mumble something else, but he just shrugged in response. _Whatever. _Suddenly a ball came flying towards him, to which he smoothly kicked back and hit that annoying midget-brat in the face. He broke out into a smug grin as the rest of the group stared in fear. He wiped at his pant leg, unfazed.

The group of kids rushed over to him at once, complimenting his style and how cool he was.

He had to admit, they were right.

There was an insistent beeping coming from his phone. He flipped it open, slightly distracted from his own thoughts only to see the glowing dot that indicated a hollow. _How troublesome. _He thought. He glanced over at Karin who seemed to be staring intently at something off in the distance. _Could she see them too?_ He wondered. _Ugh, I'm the only one near it. _With another great sigh, he sprinted forward and called over his shoulder, "Gotta go! Sorry I can't help you!"

---

"Great, you're in my way again."

Hitsugaya looked up to see Yuuki, standing with one hand on her hip in mock annoyance. He could hear himself let out a sigh of relief. He thought she was seriously mad at him. "What way? It looks like a pretty clear path to me."

"I meant you're in my spot." Yuuki corrected with a frown.

"Since when was it your spot? I don't see your name written on it." He replied.

"How childish. That's so grade school."

He figured she was taking a stab at his pride with that comment referring to elementary school. He frowned as he remembered the primary stages of the Shinigami Academy. How annoying they had been, especially with all those wannabe-Shinigami who hadn't even passed the first exams.

"I win." Yuuki announced and crouched down beside him. She elbowed him in the ribcage.

"What was that for?" He demanded, clearly annoyed. He rubbed his ribs. "You know what? You don't have to be a Shinigami. I bet you could kill hollows with your extremely pointy elbows. No sword necessary."

"Move over or these pointy elbows of doom will find their way rammed into your head."

"No thanks." He crossed his legs and gave her a triumphant grin.

"God, whatever." She sat down beside him, her knees knocking into his.

"Why are you sitting so close?"

"Because you're a seat stealer, so I want as much of my seat as possible." She answered. Yuuki wasn't sure if that made much sense, but she didn't really care. She scooted closer towards him, inwardly laughing at his extreme discomfort.

"Whatever. Don't think I can't see through your plan, I know you're trying to will me out of this spot. I bet you just want an excuse to sit closer to me." He answered, slightly jarred with the fact that they were close again. It reminded him of that _incident._

She laughed at his comment and mumbled something to which vaguely resembled 'gross'. Or maybe it had been 'no'. He wasn't quite sure.

"I'll let you have my spot." Yuuki started.

She was probably going to barter with something once again. Just like those bloody cell phone straps.

"… If you do something for me."

_Bingo. _He thought silently, mentally patting himself on the back. "What? You want to hold my hand again?" The comment had slipped before he had thought about it properly.

"Don't make me sick. I just ate."

"So? What is it?" He asked, smoothly averting the awkward topic.

"My sister has a soccer game, you see." Yuuki started, giving him a quick glance just to see his reaction.

"I know. She came to me asking for help. Her friends were gawking at me too. I'm pretty popular." He said it in a dull monotone.

"Don't think you're a prince or something, all her friends are _guys._" She commented with a smile. "I mean, unless you're into that kind of thing."

"Your sister isn't a guy." He stole a quick glance at her and watched as her expression changed for a split second.

She returned the eye contact, looking as if she'd suddenly come up with a new resolution. "I know. I think she likes you too."

He raised his brows. He wasn't expecting that. "Oh. Well, this is awkward. If you're trying to hook me up with your sister, I don't think it's going to work. My interests lie elsewhere. "

"I know, you already confessed your love for me days ago."

It was his turn to mutter a 'sick', in which he covered up with a fake cough.

"I was kidding. But anyway, that's _definitely_ not what I was going to ask you about." Yuuki replied. She could think of a million responses back to him, but she really needed this. She really needed to make up for all the past mistakes and arguments she and Karin had gone through.

"Well? What is it?" Hitsugaya asked once more.

"I want you to play on my sister's team."

---

**A/N**: Wow guys, thanks for reviewing… so here's the update as promised. Longest chapter yet… I hope you guys enjoyed it! If you didn't know, this is actually from the Bleach episode 132, or well, the first half of it.

**REPLIES**

**Megomi**: He returned to his gigai before she noticed. I didn't actually describe the soul 'cause I couldn't remember what it was like. XD Hope that cleared up the confusion.

**AngelOfDeathz: **I hope this chapter is long enough for you. :P

**NeverGoodbyeRoxas: **Aww, thanks for the comments. I always enjoy reading your reviews. XD


	13. Chapter 13

Hitsugaya stared down below where Karin and here friends were playing soccer.

She was commanding and bossy and seemed to get what she wanted.

_Just like Yuuki. _He thought dryly. Sisters seemed to share more traits then he figured. Karin was intriguing though, on the outside they seemed like polar opposites. She was a tough tomboy while Yuuki was a smart mouthed… girl.

"Captain!"

He heard a sing-song voice from behind him and turned to see his Vice Captain with a grin plastered onto her face.

"Have you become a stalker?" She inquired as she gazed down below at the group of kids.

"You're wrong." He answered with a tinge of annoyance. "There's just something I'm worried about." He looked down below at Karin.

Matsumoto followed his gaze. "Whoa, isn't that Ichigo's _other_ sister?"

"Yeah."

"You're a player, aren't you, Captain?" She joked and gave him a nudge. "First Yuuki and now you're pursuing her?"

He rolled his eyes at her comments. "The only playing I'll be doing with her is a soccer. So come watch if you're so interested."

---

He glanced at his watch. He was twenty minutes late. _Oh well, as long as I win the game._ He'd never played soccer before, but it seemed simple enough. He neared the field, glancing his soon-to-be teammates. They looked rather glum. He figured they were losing.

"Toushirou!" Karin called out to him, a big smile on her face.

Well, at least he was doing his good deed of the day.

Her smile turned upside down in seconds. "You're late."

_Oh well._ He thought impassively. "I didn't promise anything."

The other team approached with smug looks on their faces. "What's with him?"

"We're going to start fighting back now." Karin claimed fiercely.

"Help this far in the game?" One of them scoffed. He was tall and skinny and the fat one beside him sniggered.

"Everyone, we're gonna catch up all at once!" Karin announced, fists clenched enthusiastically.

He didn't want to screw up in soccer. What if he failed? "Hey wait! I didn't…" He glanced at her knee that had a grotesque bruise forming and felt a pang of sympathy. "You're hurt."

"Oh! This is nothing!" Karin exclaimed. He frowned. She reminded him more and more of Yuuki. "What's wrong?"

"I guess I have no choice." He said airily. "We just have to win right?" He mentally hoped his Shinigami training would somehow come to use in soccer. Karin nodded enthusiastically. The nerdy one with yellow glasses came running towards him and mumbled a 'tag out'… whatever that meant.

The game started quickly, and Karin dribbled the ball towards the net with ease. The tall skinny one shoved her over and took it from her. Hitsugaya watched with indifference. _This should be easy._

He ran by him and took the ball easily. The tall skinny one tripped over his own feet in surprise. Hitsugaya stopped momentarily, unimpressed. He watched as two other guys came running towards him. He dodged them effortlessly and kicked the ball into the goal. The goalie raised his hands in means to stop the ball but proved only to be a pathetic defense as he too, flew into the net. He could hear the rest of the team cheering behind him.

And to think he had been worried.

The rest of the game sailed smoothly, as he kicked in goal after goal. It was refreshing in a way, something different from Shinigami duties… though the game proved to be incredibly repetitive.

It had come down to the last goal to beat the team. He dribbled the ball down the field, and was slightly surprised to see Karin running beside him.

"Now kick it in!"

He passed the ball to her. "It's your team. You do it." He didn't want her to suddenly become dependant on him. He had only agreed to this once.

Karin nodded and ran forward, kicking the ball into the goal to score the winning point. "We won! We won!" She was shouting and clapping hands with her friends. "Toushirou, it's all thanks to you."

"You scored the winning goal, didn't you? More importantly, I have something to discuss."

"What is it?" Karin questioned, giving him a quizzical look.

He opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly something wasn't right. He glanced at the sky and inwardly groaned. _A hollow._ A gigantic hand reached out towards Karin, and Hitsugaya immediately shoved her aside.

"Guys!" She shouted desperately.

"Wait! Don't go!" Hitsugaya ordered, placing his hands on her shoulders to secure her in place.

She looked at him again. "Toushirou, you can see it?"

"I'll explain later. Just run for it!"

"I can't!" Karin exclaimed. "I can't let my friends get hurt." Before he could stop her, she had slipped out of his grasp and had run to the soccer ball. She glared at the Hollow and kicked the ball at it.

It scratched the area it had been hit.

"It didn't work?" She spoke to no one in particular and watched in horror as it's giant fist came crushing towards her. She shut her eyes, waiting for the pain.

After thirty seconds of nothing, she opened her eyes a fraction to see someone clothed in a black kimono and white robe. It was the same type that Ichigo wore. Hitsugaya held his sword above him, blocking the blow.

_He was a Shinigami._ Karin inferred, staring in awe.

"Sit upon the frozen heavens, Hyourinmaru."

The weather changed to a gloomy gray, and Hitsugaya threw the bladed chain at the hollow. It wrapped around its arm which froze instantly, and he tugged at it. The piece of arm came crashing to the ground. "Too bad. With a Captain in the real world, you Hollows don't stand a chance."

The hollow roared and leaned back, a bright red light formulating in its mouth.

_Cero._ He thought and raised his blade to quickly finish him off. He cut a clean slice through its middle, and both pieces froze over; shattering into a million shards of ice. He returned to Karin.

"Are you okay?" He asked Karin, and extended a hand toward her.

She nodded in response and took his hand. She watched as her friends stared at each other with confused looks, wondering what had happened. "Toushirou… that outfit…"

"It seems you have high spirit power, but I'm impressed that you can see me…" He was about to mention Yuuki's capabilities when Karin suddenly grabbed onto his shoulders.

"Hey do you know where Ichigo is?" She shook him with an increasing frenzy.

"No, sorry. I don't know where he is." He answered.

It was a lie, he knew. But he couldn't give out the details. He just hoped Yuuki hadn't revealed anything.

Karin looked down, disappointed. "I see." She removed her hands and let them drop to her sides. "What is it that you wanted to discuss?"

---

Yuuki could hear the door slam, and she wondered if Hitsugaya hadn't done his part of the deal. Or if he had no talent in soccer and they had lost. Karin was always angry after she lost a game. She made her way over to the kitchen, where Karin sat on one of the chairs, glaring despondently at a banana.

"I made dinner for you. Yuzu and Dad went out for some grocery shopping and to get some movies." Yuuki explained and pointed to a plate on the counter. Food always made Karin feel better. She had prepared her favourite just in case they lost.

Karin remained silent.

"Lose the game?" Yuuki questioned, unsure if she was saying the right thing.

"No."

_Oh good, I don't have to kill him._ Yuuki thought silently. "Why are you so upset?"

Karin slammed her hands on the table, rising. The chair was forcefully pushed back and it screeched along the tiled floor. "Why do you always take everything away from me?"

Yuuki turned to look at her sister, shocked. Her sister hadn't been angry like her for a year or so now. "What?"

"You. Take. Everything." Karin repeated, enunciating each word.

"I don't know what you're…"

"Yes, yes you do." Karin interjected. "First you take Ichigo away with all your neediness Even dad pays more attention to you. Now you have to take someone I like too?"

Yuuki gave her sister a confused look.

"Toushirou." She spat, glaring vehemently at Yuuki.

"What about him?" Yuuki asked slowly, almost struggling to pronounce the words. Her speech seemed slurred at the sudden mention of his name. What had he done?

"He told me he had something to discuss." Karin could clearly remember what had happened only a couple hours earlier.

---

"_What is it that you wanted to discuss?" _

"_Look, to be honest… Yuuki asked me to play with you."_

_Karin could feel herself go cold at the mention of her sister. It was always everything Yuuki. She turned away from him, feeling a flare of anger. "What? So she asked you to pity me, is what you meant." _

"_Look, it's not like that." Hitsugaya replied. "She really cares about you. She knew this game was important to you, so that's why she asked me to help you."_

"_What? So you wouldn't have helped me if she didn't tell you to?" She asked angrily, refusing to make eye contact. She tried hard to suppress the tears. _

_Hitsugaya didn't answer._

"_Just admit it already." She prodded coldly. _

"_Yeah, okay. I don't know what would have happened if she didn't ask. Let's just say that she confirmed it, okay?"_

_Karin remained silent._

_Hitsugaya exhaled loudly, and sucked in another breath. "I want to make this clear. You and I… things can't happen between us." _

"_What's that supposed to mean?" She scoffed, crossing her arms._

_He didn't want to incriminate Yuuki. "I know that you like me. It's just, obvious." He said slowly. "But I can't accept your feelings. I have feelings elsewhere."_

_The words had stabbed at her heart like knives._

---

"He said he had 'feelings elsewhere.' Do you know what that means, Yuuki?" Karin asked coldly.

"It means he doesn't like you." She paraphrased.

"Yes. It also means he likes _you_!" Karin screamed, pointing an accusing finger towards Yuuki.

Yuuki took a few steps backward. "I don't know what you're talking about. What makes you so sure it's me he's talking about? He probably has a girlfriend somewhere, in fact, he even told me about her once." It wasn't entirely a lie. He _had_ mentioned he thought about someone on the roof when they had first met.

"You think I'll believe in that load of crap?" She raged, taking a few steps closer to Yuuki. "You think I'll believe in your _lies_?"

"Karin." Yuuki started, but was instantly cut off.

"You knew he was a Shinigami, didn't you?"

Yuuki stopped talking, her mouth hung open in surprise. "I… I…"

"Don't try to deny it. What, did he save you from a hollow too?" She questioned sarcastically.

"Okay, I knew. He made me swear not to tell anyone. It was a secret, or something." Yuuki explained quickly.

"Do you guys share other secrets too?" Karin sneered. "Oh, maybe where _Ichigo is!_"

"Karin, enough." Yuuki commanded. "You're angry, I know. I told you to focus on your game and not other games, by that I meant guys. This is what happens when you like guys, especially ones like Toushirou."

"What? So I'm not allowed to like him but you can?"

"I never said that." Yuuki countered. "I don't like him."

Karin laughed. It seemed almost forced. "Oh look, another lie." She gave her sister another glare and stormed into her room.

---

Hitsugaya glanced at his phone. It should be time for Yuuki to drop by around soon. He could hear her clunking steps and rolled his eyes. _Seriously, she wasn't a girl… at least not with those ungraceful feet._

Yuuki climbed up to the roof, body shaking in rage. She had half hoped he was there so she could kick his ass and half hoped he wasn't so she wouldn't get sent to jail. She clambered up the steps and surveyed her surroundings. _There._

Hitsugaya looked up to see her approaching him. Fast.

"You!" Yuuki exploded, pointing a finger at him. "What the hell did you do to my sister?!"

He watched her quickly advance towards him and frowned. "You shouldn't walk so fast."

She stopped momentarily and gave him an odd look, which was quickly replaced with another wave of anger. "What the hell does that have to do with—" she took a lunge forward, and found herself losing balance.

She fell over.

_So much for my cool moment. _Yuuki thought bitterly. She recovered quickly, dusting herself off. "Okay so maybe walking fast wasn't a good idea, but the only reason I'm walking so fast is because of _you."_

"I didn't tell you to walk fast."

_God, what the hell was wrong with him?!_ Yuuki screamed inside her head, glaring at him. "I don't care. Just tell me what you did to my sister."

He sighed and stood up. Judging by Yuuki's outrage, Karin had probably gone home and spilled everything. He wondered where he should start. "I told her I didn't like her."

"Oh my God! You are terrible!" Yuuki yelled, jabbing her finger into his chest. "You! You! I told you to win my sister's soccer game, not go and rip her heart out and throw it on the ground and use it as the ball!"

He grabbed onto her wrists to stop her from slamming her hands on him again. "I did what you asked me to do. I won the game."

"You did that and more!" Yuuki screamed, struggling to free her hands. "Will you—" She attempted to twist her wrists out of his grasp. "—let go of me!!"

His vice-like grip only tightened. "Don't blame me. You're the one who told me she liked me."

"It was so you would know! So you wouldn't go and blatantly break her heart, you jerk!!" She pounded furiously at his chest, struggling every which way to make him let go.

"Are you sure about that? Or was it so I wouldn't send her the wrong signals?"

She stopped moving then. _Was he right?_

"I know what your true intentions were. I bet you're glad I stopped it right then. You don't want her in the way, do you?"

She laughed out loud, giving him a half-crazed look. "What? What the hell is that supposed to mean? First you go and heartlessly tell my sister off and now… now, you're accusing me… saying it was my plan all along because _I like you?!_"

"Shinigamis can read minds, you know." He had thrown it out there, hoping to shut her up. It seemed effective for her arms fell limp and he could feel her shaking.

Yuuki looked up at him, eyes wide. "You're reading my mind right now?" She had said it in a barely audible whisper.

He wasn't quite sure how to answer that. He had just hoped she would shut up so he didn't have to deal with this unnecessary yelling. He watched as her eyes flickered to the ground and back to him. She looked so uncertain.

Suddenly, she was yelling again. "Good! Maybe you'll know how much I want to _kick your ass_ right about now! Because of you… my sister has this crazy idea that you like me! She's blaming me because of your stupid moves! Why couldn't you just keep your mouth shut?!"

Hitsugaya closed his eyes in frustration. "What if it was true?" He ventured, staring at her intensely. He shut his mouth in an instant. He didn't know why he had said that.

Yuuki seemed to calm down and suddenly her hands became clammy. She looked at him and then at his hands which were still firmly encircled around her wrists. She started laughing again. "You think I'll believe that? Didn't you just say you can read minds? Why don't you just read my mind and find out?! Stop trying to lie your way out of this!"

He exhaled, a sudden pang of disappointment stabbing at him. "Okay, fine. I was a jerk to your sister but that was because so she wouldn't ask me to play again. If she thought I had played for her then, well, she would have grown dependant on me, okay? I can't have someone depending on me while I'm here for Shinigami duties. In fact, I can't have anyone – any humans – depending on me."

"Yeah, so?! Why did you have to mention that whole 'feelings elsewhere' crap! Why couldn't you just _ignore_ the fact that she liked you! You could've just let it pass, it was an innocent crush!" Yuuki yanked her hands away from his grasp successfully and threw her hands up in the air in exasperation. "You know what? Whatever. I am through. I thought this would be a good way to help my sister and maybe gain her respect again but I guess it just made everything worse. It was my mistake. I was wrong." She threw him another glare and began to walk away.

"I'm sorry, okay?"

She turned stiffly, trying to read his face. She opened her mouth to say something mean but clamped it shut again. She couldn't think of a single thing to say.

He shook his head slightly, and began to rub his temples. He hoped she would just forgive him and everything would return to normal so they could chat and have fun.

She remained silent.

"I need to know something." He said slowly.

"What?" She hissed.

"Do you… do you like me?" He watched her eyes flicker to the ground for a moment and then return his eye contact. He had to know. It was driving him crazy. _She_ was driving him crazy.

Yuuki stood there, struggling to come up with an answer. Her mind was screaming no, but something… something in her heart was just off. "What, if I liked you would you do the same to me as you did to my sister? If that's the case… No. I don't like you Toushirou. At all."

It had stung more then he had thought it would, which alarmed him.

"Now if you don't mind. I have to get home now."

He didn't stop her. He needed to get his thoughts organized. Fast.

Yuuki descended down the roof as quickly as she could. She thought she heard someone call her name, but when she turned she saw nobody. It was probably her messed up mind playing tricks on her again.

---

Matsumoto watched from the shadows as Yuuki stumbled down the roof. She cast a worried glance at her Captain.

She had seen everything.

---

**A/N:** I think my next update will be a little late so I leave you with a rather long chapter. For those of you worried about Hitsugaya getting with Karin… as you can see that won't be the case. Please keep reviewing, I really enjoy seeing everyone's opinions… ask questions if you want to, I will reply the next chapter!


	14. Chapter 14

Yuuki stared despondently at the mirror. Her eyes looked sunken in, and puffy bags had formed beneath them.

She had woken up at 5AM every morning to bake her sister cookies in the shape of letters. Every morning she spelt out a 'SORRY'. Every morning they went untouched.

Karin was notorious for her stubbornness. And well, so was she.

Yuuki set the mirror down and walked into the kitchen to continue her routine. She couldn't help but feel distracted with thoughts of Toushirou. She felt horrible for yelling at him, but at the same time she felt responsible for her sister's pain – and so she had resolved to not see him for a while.

She wasn't avoiding him, just keeping a healthy distance. Or so she tried to convince herself.

But today was different. Today she would see Toushirou and make amends. She would apologize, and he would forgive her and they would continue on their merry way of friendship.

She didn't want to admit that she _almost_ missed him. It had been nearly a week and a half since she'd last spoke to him. He was different from her other friends and actually offered an insightful piece of advice once in a while. He was a good friend and she acknowledged that.

Though, a nagging voice in her head told her otherwise. Other thoughts that she didn't dare dwell on.

She stared at the cookie dough and sighed.

Today she would be preparing two batches of cookies.

--

Hitsugaya sat on the rooftop as usual, dragging a hand across the weathered bricks. He swallowed a few times, trying to calm himself down after what had just happened.

_Matsumoto called to him for a meeting with the Commander-General. As usual, he arrived in a timely manner expecting another grim discussion of Arrancar. He found it odd when Matsumoto left the room._

"_There is someone here to see you." _

_With delightful surprise, he saw Hinamori enter. He could feel his heart flutter as soon as he saw her. _

"_Hey, is it okay if I ask you something, Hitsugaya?"_

_He smiled briefly, her voice was so quiet and timid he had to strain to hear. With a curious gaze he questioned, "What is it?" _

_Hinamori fumbled with her hands, wringing them and relaxing them. "You're going to fight against Captain Aizen, aren't you?"_

_He could feel himself tense at the mention of his name, and his fist clenched in anger in reminder of that incident. _

"_Are you going to kill… Captain Aizen?"_

_He said nothing._

"_Please… Please save Captain Aizen!"_

_He let out the breath he had been holding, and his eyes widened in shock. How could she…?_

"_I know what Captain Aizen is doing is really bad. But, I'm sure he has a really good reason for doing it!"_

_He watched in silence as her demeanor changed. She began rambling on about Aizen._

"_That's it! Captain Ichimaru or someone else must be forcing Captain Aizen to…"_

_She didn't finish. The Commander-General had stopped her, and thank him for that. Hitsugaya nodded stiffly at his apologies and left._

His fists clenched subconsciously. He didn't want to admit it. The words Hinamori spoke of Aizen had hurt him. He wanted his Hinamori back, before she had been corrupted by that bastard Aizen. With a low grown, he shut his eyes and rested his head on his knees.

Why couldn't Hinamori just stop? What was so good about Aizen that he didn't have?

"Hey…"

He lifted his head to see Yuuki, and oddly felt glad to see her. He quickly tried to push the other thoughts away. "Hey."

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry for what happened um, you know." She said vaguely, and took a few steps closer toward him.

He nodded. For the past week after he had pondered the situation, re-analyzing it each time to figure out what he had done wrong. He could feel a small sense of relief. He had been certain that Yuuki had been so upset that he was avoiding him. He watched her fidget and it was then he noticed her holding a plate of cookies. "Night time snack?"

"What?" Yuuki looked down at the plate. "Oh. These are for you." She handed them to him awkwardly.

With slight surprise, he took them wordlessly. He stared at the cookies for a long time. Nobody had ever made cookies for him, and it strangely reminded him of when he and Hinamori used to share watermelon together. It felt nice.

Yuuki noticed his solemn expression and briefly wondered if he was going to throw them over and quickly began to explain. "I mean, see it's kind of hard to tell… I'm not good at making letters yet, because I don't want to use those cookie cutters so I kind of shaped them by hand except the S turned out a little…"

"Thank you."

He had said it so faintly that she had barely heard him. "You're welcome. I didn't know if you liked chocolate chips… I just thought you wouldn't because you're kind of, uh, old-fashioned and all… I hope you're not allergic to oatmeal…"

He reached over towards her and pulled her down beside him. "It's fine."

Yuuki nodded. She became worried when he didn't let go of her wrist. She tilted her head to peer at him. "Uh… are you okay?"

He set the cookies aside and gave her a faint half smile. "Not really."

He opened his mouth to correct himself and then shut it awkwardly; he didn't know why he had answered like that. His customary answer was always 'yes' or 'I'm fine,' no matter the circumstances, but for some reason he had bypassed it.

"What's wrong?" She asked quietly.

He balled a fist into his mouth, and cleared his throat. His other hand squeezed her wrist a fraction, as he spoke. "I don't know why I'm telling you this… maybe it's because I want a second opinion." He paused momentarily, judging that to be a plausible explanation. "There's this girl… she's the one… your sister, you know." He trailed off, unsure of how to describe Hinamori.

"Oh." Yuuki answered dully. For some reason she felt a tad disappointed.

"We've been friends for a long time… in Soul Society. Even before we became Shinigamis. When she became a Shinigami, she really admired this captain." He spoke slowly, making sure not to add any names.

"You?"

He forced a chuckle. "No, I wouldn't mind that, then. Another captain." And then as an afterthought, he added. "He betrayed Soul Society."

"In what way?" She asked, slightly alarmed with the information.

"Let's just say he tried to kill her."

"Oh my God.." Her eyes widened in shock. "Did they catch him?"

"No, but that's besides the point. I talked to her today… and well, it's like this, it's inevitable that there will be some kind of final battle. You know, in fairytales, they have the knight kill the witch, or whatever?" He looked at her, hoping she was absorbing the information.

"I'm not stupid." She piped in, feeling slightly offended with his simplified version.

He shrugged. "Well, I'm sure other people will tell you otherwise…"

Yuuki frowned at his comment. "Can you stop being a jerk and continue with the story?"

He chuckled, he was feeling better already. "Anyway, as you can probably infer, it's likely that I'll be fighting him." He continued when she nodded. "She told me to save him."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

Her answer had surprised him. "How is that a good thing?" He let go of her arm and recoiled. He didn't feel better after all.

"It means she's a good person. I mean, if someone tried to kill me… I wouldn't want them to die just because of that." Yuuki answered softly, unsure if she was saying the right thing.

He understood, slightly. But he couldn't help but think if only she knew of the circumstances.

"Is that what's been bothering you?"

"No." He admitted. "I just don't understand why she's so devoted to him. He betrayed everyone. I guess in the time I knew her… I got attached."

"You mean you like her." Yuuki had said it before she could stop herself.

Hitsugaya turned to look at her and then nodded.

"Do you love her?"

_Did he?_ He had always believed that he did, but he suddenly found it hard to answer the question. He remained silent.

"Look at it this way. If she somehow betrayed Soul Society, wouldn't you do anything and everything to prove her innocence?"

He thought about it for a long time and suddenly, everything was right again. Yuuki always seemed to know what to say. It was true that he would do that, but it hurt him that Hinamori would do it for someone else – especially someone like Aizen.

"Why are you staring at me like that…" Yuuki trailed off, slightly nervous with his sudden empowering gaze.

He continued to look at her, despite her obvious discomfort. Yuuki was loyal, Yuuki was someone who understood him. "You said you would become a Shinigami just for me, right?"

Yuuki looked taken back, surprised with his question. "If you want to think of it that way… I guess I did kind of say that…"

To him, that was the best answer in the world. Nobody had ever done something just for him, but Yuuki had. Hinamori's sole reason to become a shinigami was to get closer to Aizen. He sighed loudly at the idea and then turned his gaze to the plate of cookies.

"Maybe you should ditch her and go for someone better. Like me, for example." She joked, raising her eyebrows in an attempt to lighten the mood. When his silence continued, she fidgeted uncomfortably and added. "Just kidding. She seems nice, just confused. She's probably really pretty too."

Hitsugaya remained silent, only hearing tidbits of what she was saying. Something about 'nice' and 'pretty,' and for an instant the only thing he could see was her. He could feel his breathing quicken, and before he knew it he was doing the unthinkable.

Yuuki felt utterly confused when he grabbed onto her wrist again. She could feel the hairs on the back of her neck rise as his cold hand slid down to grab hers. "What are you…?"

He didn't know how to answer. Even he didn't know what he was doing. It was like he couldn't stop himself. Her hand was so warm, _she_ was always warm. He pulled her towards him in an awkward half-hug. He breathed a sigh of relief. Everything felt so right, so content.

Yuuki had no idea what was going on. She had let herself go towards him, she didn't know what to do. She felt like a ghost, watching her own body move with no accordance to her brain. One arm was pressed uncomfortably against his chest, while the other was still in his grasp. She could feel his other arm snake around her waist. They were so close she could feel his breaths on her neck, and suddenly she was very afraid.

He could feel her muscles tense. "Let's just stay like this for a while." He murmured. He felt her relax, and pulled her closer.

She was so warm.

---

**A/N**: Happy(ish) moment for the two. I'm sure everyone was waiting for it to happen. Thanks so much for the reviews, guys. Please keep reading and especially reviewing, I really appreciate reading all your comments! I realize it is a short chapter, but it's short for a reason. I have the next few done (I had a great writing splurge one night) so I suppose I'll add a review quota to make up for the shortness. I'll aim for 9 reviews this time and the next chapter comes early. : )

**REPLIES**

**NeverGoodbyeRoxas:** Ah, thank you so much for all those compliments. I tried to portray a kind of, powerful emotion between Hitsugaya/Karin/Yuuki and was rather pleased with the way it turned out. Thanks again for reviewing; I always enjoy reading your reviews!

**Erina:** Haha, I did kind of make Karin to be uh, less than pleasant so I hope any Karin fans don't come and hunt me down. : For now I won't be revealing any details about their feelings, I'll just let you infer, though it should be pretty obvious. Thanks for your review!

**TheatreChick07**: Yep, Chapter 12 was the first half of episode 132. I don't think there will be any more references to the actual episodes from here on out, so that was the last of it. : )

**B a y o – B a y o: **I was wondering where you went, haha. Thanks for the reviews, I hope you stick around.

**Megomi:** I won't reveal anything with plotline, but let's just say from here the emotions are going to escalate…

Sorry that I didn't reply to every single person, I only chose a few that I thought needed replying to. For everyone else, please don't feel bad – and I really appreciate your reviews!


	15. Chapter 15

Yuuki shifted slightly. Her chin was resting awkwardly on Hitsugaya's right shoulder and her arm was still trapped against his chest. She took a few deep breaths, desperately trying to assess the situation at hand. She could feel his hand press against the small of her back and all she could do was stare down at the backside of his striped shirt. This was wrong, she knew this was wrong. Hadn't he just confessed his love for another girl five minutes ago? She needed to end this. "Toushirou…"

His grip tightened on her hand. "When I'm with you I feel right." He had blurted it out before thinking but he had this sudden urge to pour out his thoughts. Thoughts that he had bottled up for days. Thoughts that he had tried to push away but had resurfaced every time.

Yuuki clamped her mouth shut, unsure of what to say.

For the first time in his life, he began to confide to someone other then Hyourinmaru. "I think… because I've spent time with you… got to know you…" He paused for a moment, suddenly feeling very confused.

She shut her eyes, exhaling into his shirt and turning her head to stare at his neck and spiky white hair. As long as he didn't say _it_… she wouldn't have to stop him. They were just friends. This had nothing to do with 'feelings elsewhere'. They were friends. This was just a friendly hug. She always hugged her friends. Granted that all of them were girls, but he was a friend. _This was nothing but a friendly hug._

"We're friends… right?" He asked with a slight uncertainty, and she could feel his breathing quicken.

She just nodded.

"See, that's what I thought too… but don't you ever get that feeling that we…" He trailed off, and swallowed. His mouth had suddenly gone dry. "That we should be, I mean, that you want to be more?"

_More?_ The word echoed in her mind briefly. "Well, you did save my life." She stated, hoping he would end it there. More was okay in the sense of brother and sister. She hugged Ichigo a lot, right? This was still okay.

Hitsugaya stopped breathing for a second. He was treading into dangerous grounds; in fact he'd already taken a giant leap. But he couldn't stop. Words kept coming out of his mouth in some kind of continuous flow. "Yeah, I did. I guess. Weren't you afraid?"

Yuuki let out a sigh of relief. He was changing the subject. "Yeah, I was. Somewhat. Okay, a lot." Hitsugaya let go of her hand and she clasped her hands together. It felt cold without his. His arm wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her closer. She felt him lean in towards her and for a fraction of a second she froze.

"It's okay, it won't happen again. I promise."

The words seemed to tug at her heart, permanently etching themselves within it. The sincerity of his words was surprising and sudden. She watched his adam's apple bob up and down as he talked, retelling their first meeting. She just nodded and snuggled a little closer, telling herself that it was okay because she did this with Ichigo when she was upset.

"It was funny when I tricked you…"

He kept going, and she just listened. What else could she do? She smiled faintly at the memory.

Hitsugaya kept talking, he didn't quite know what he was going on about but it just kept coming. Suddenly he felt her recoil. Push him away.

He flinched, like he'd been slapped.

"What did you just say?" She demanded.

"I was talking about when we were here and you told me about your mother and that was when I first…" He trailed off, and clamped his mouth shut. His expression suddenly changed from confusion to slight terror as he realized what he'd said.

Yuuki registered the look and quickly began to back away. "I'm sorry… I can't do this… you… She trailed off, her breathing was shaky.

"I don't…" He tried to explain, but he couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence with a 'like you'. His mouth hung open, willing himself to say something, anything.

Yuuki stood hastily, she couldn't bring himself to look at him. "You're just confused. You like Hinamori." She said softly. She was not about to ruin someone else's relation with him for her own gain. "You like Hinamori." She repeated and turned. She had to leave.

He blinked rapidly, disbelief spreading through him. He had killed it. He had ruined the moment with that slip up. He had screwed up. He watched her retreat and scrambled to stand up.

Yuuki could feel her insides shaking, fluttering, she didn't know what it was. She felt him grab onto her wrist for what seemed like the umpteenth time of the day, and she whirled to face him.

He didn't know what to say. He just wanted her to stop. He didn't want her to leave.

"No." She stated. She didn't know what she was saying no to, but she just wanted to get across that what had happened was wrong. It wasn't supposed to happen.

_No?_ The word played colourlessly in his mind, the sudden rejection dawning on him. He felt frustrated that he was so tongue-tied.

"I have to go. It's getting late." She exclaimed dully, hoping he would let go of her.

"Don't leave."

His words were raspy, shallow and pained. Yuuki could do nothing but stare. "I have to…"

He was pulling her closer again, he didn't want to let go of her.

"Toushirou… stop it."

He ignored her words, a sudden crazed sense of desperation overtaking him. He could feel her struggling against him and he ignored that too.

Yuuki closed her eyes and pushed him away for the second time. He took a step backward, his heel colliding with the plate of cookies and before either could react it went sliding down the roof.

They both stared as the plate of cookies plummeted to the ground and landed with a crash. Silence ensued as neither knew what to do.

Yuuki stared at the remaining debris of cookie. Her mouth hung open in surprise, and for a moment they did nothing. She was the first to speak. Though she couldn't think of anything else to say, she knew she needed to make it clear: that it was wrong. "You like Hinamori." She repeated for the third time, feeling like a broken tape recording. She felt his grip loosen on her wrist and she walked away from him.

He let her go, fingers twitching as they lightly grazed the surface of her hand. He felt frozen on the spot as he stared down below at the broken pieces of cookies. He felt like he was being punished. Every corner he turned he came face to face with rejection. The one thing that had solely been created for him had been destroyed before he could have even enjoyed it, savored it.

His happiness had been short-lived, his contentment ripped away from him because of his own mistake.

**A/N:** OKAY, don't kill me for another (really) short chapter. It was supposed to be like this. I promise the next chapter will be much better… there is something very intense coming up. I suppose I will do a review quota again since I have the next chapter done. 10 reviews this time? Anyways, thanks guys for the reviews, I really love reading your input! I was also very delighted to see that I actually received 10 reviews. Thanks a lot again!

**NeverGoodbyeRoxas:** Amen, I am not a Hinamori fan either, to be quite frank. I didn't want to portray her as some horrible person though (considering that I'm quite certain she isn't, just slightly crazed) so I tried to rationalize and think about why she's so devoted with Yuuki's comments. Thanks again for your review.

**TheatreChick07: **Oh yeah… I can't remember what episode it is either, I lost it. But I'm glad you caught onto it! Thanks for reviewing!

**Erina: **Haha, it actually took me a while to try and understand it myself… I didn't want to put Hinamori under a bad light (considering many fans will probably come and murder me) so I tried to understand her actions.

**Bloody-Ribbon: **Haha, don't get me wrong here, but it's not the ACTUAL reason (or at least that I know of). I completely made it up, but it's highly possible that it could be true or at least that is what I think. : )

**SilentSS:** It's a secret.

Once again thanks a lot for your reviews, I really appreciate it!


	16. Chapter 16

Yuuki stood uncertainly in front of the door. Her hand had been raised to knock for the past five minutes and her arm was beginning to hurt. She suddenly felt like it was a mistake to come, but after two days she felt horrible. She counted to ten, telling herself that by the end of her count she would most definitely knock.

The door opened before she reached ten.

Surprised, she quickly let her arm drop when she came face to face with Matsumoto.

"Oh! Yuuki!" Matsumoto exclaimed. "I was just out to get some groceries… what are you doing here?" She had one hand held onto the door knob, as if ready to slam the door closed at any moment.

"I need to see Toushirou." She answered quickly.

Matsumoto plastered on a fake smile. "I see. Well, he's just in the bed room… you know your way around. I'm going to get some groceries." She opened the door to let her inside.

Yuuki took a few cautious steps, nodding to Matsumoto and returning the smile. She couldn't help but notice that Matsumoto looked jittery, almost pained at the idea of letting her inside. Before she could change her mind and kick her out, she took a few large strides into the hallway. She turned to give a wary gaze to Matsumoto but she was already gone.

With baby steps, Yuuki made her way to the room. She let out a long breath, mentally preparing herself before reaching over and quietly opening the door. She saw Toushirou sitting against the wall, one knee up and an arm sprawled lazily a top it. He glanced at her, looking mildly surprised. He looked tired, like he hadn't slept for days. She opened her mouth and squeaked, "Hi."

"Hello." He answered dully.

The atmosphere was heavy, but despite that Yuuki entered the room, closing the door behind her. "Sorry, no plate of cookies this time." She joked, hoping to lighten the mood.

He remained unfazed, giving her a slight shrug.

Yuuki could feel something very different. He looked bored, like he didn't care she was there. She took a few steps closer to him, and noticed that the hand propped on his knee was bloody. The knuckles were worn and scratched like he'd been in a fight. She reached over to grab his hand. "Oh God, your hand!"

He pulled his arm back, like he had been burned. "It's fine."

Yuuki stumbled backward, surprised with his reaction. Then she just nodded numbly. "I guess I should say sorry for what happened… It was rude for me to leave like that. Do you… do you want to…"

"We shouldn't meet anymore." He interjected, words cutting through hers like a knife on butter.

Yuuki stopped abruptly. Then forced a smile. "Ohh! I get it; you're just kidding around to freak me out, right?"

He didn't answer.

"Right?" She asked again, urgency lacing her words.

"Go home, kid."

She stopped smiling. She felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. After a few minutes of silence, she spoke. "Kid?" Yuuki scoffed, voice rising in volume. "Kid? Whatever you're trying to pull, it's not funny anymore…"

"I'm tired of having you around." He answered with another shrug.

Yuuki could feel her breathing quicken and for a moment she wondered if she was going to explode. She suddenly felt very, very disorientated, like everything she'd ever known had been ripped out of context. "Did you forget what happened? What happened to you? Did you lose your memories?"

"Just stop it. I thought you were smart. You should have been able to infer that I wasn't going to stick around for long when I told you I couldn't have people depending on me. I've come to realize that you are growing dependant on me. We should just end this peacefully." He stood up to stretch. His actions were so impassive, she felt like she was hardly there.

"What about when you said you liked me? You and I both know that you said it—.." She was struggling to breathe, and she could feel tears welling in her eyes. "—Stop lying!"

"I was lying." He answered nonchalantly. "I never liked you, from the beginning I thought of you as a girl too sarcastic for her own good, someone who doesn't know when to shut her mouth. As chivalrous as I am, I am also a great liar."

Yuuki clenched her fists, she could feel her throat constrict and she knew she was going to cry. She never broke eye contact with Hitsugaya and he never did either. His eyes betrayed nothing. _How could he be so serious?_ She struggled to find the right words, but she continued talking. "How can that be true? What about when you confided in me with all that… that… stuff and now you're just turning around like it never happened?"

"I used you."

She took a few steps backwards, disbelieving. She felt her elbows bump against the wall. "You can't just… you can't just throw away our friendship like some piece of _trash_!" Yuuki exploded. She looked down at the ground watching her tears fall to the carpeted floor. She didn't want to let him see her cry.

"You should have known. I gave you fair warning." He explained. His tone was mocking, berating.

Yuuki lifted her head as she heard those words, enraged. He was smiling. _He was smiling!_ Overwhelmed, she covered her face with her hands, tears mingling with her sweaty palms. Before she could stop her self, she uttered words that she had never dared to say. "But I like you…"

Hitsugaya froze for an instant, caught off guard and then just scoffed. "You've grown too attached to me, I see. I'm not who you think I am."

"I don't care.." She trailed off, her voice was growing raspy and her breaths were panicked and uneven. She dropped her hands and looked up at him. "I don't care… I like you. I really…"

He took three large strides towards her and Yuuki suddenly found herself crammed uncomfortably between the wall and his body. She felt his heat radiating off of him. "What are you--?"

She felt his hands on her, pushing her shoulders back into the wall. Then roaming before one settled to cup her face and the other against the base of her neck. They were incredibly cold. She stared up at him, caught in fear. For a moment she saw a flicker of something she couldn't quite place in his eyes, and she struggled to maneuver her hands to push him away.

But it was too late.

His lips were on hers. Her mind reeled with the idea. She shut her eyes, and bit back a scream. This was all wrong. She had always pictured her first kiss to be perfect, tender, sweet. But this was nothing like it. It was forced, rough and almost animalistic. She frantically pushed at his chest but he only pressed further, trapping her with his body weight. For a second time, she pushed at him harder and he let go.

She was crying, she knew.

She could feel the tears coursing down her cheeks and dripping down her chin.

She didn't know what to say.

He gave her a smug smile. "Still like me now?"

She gave out a strangled cry and fled.

---

Hitsugaya backed up against the wall, sliding down against it in a tired fashion. He slumped against it, running his fingers along his bloody knuckles.

_He had done what he had to do._

With an exasperated yell, he picked up the nearest object and hurled it against the wall. The pillow slammed against it and fell lifelessly to the floor.

_He had done what he had to do._

He stood and paced around the room, before stopping near the door, staring at the wall where he'd committed the unthinkable. He glared at it, and raised his arm to punch the wall, fresh blood pouring from now open wounds. He let out a muffled cry as he remembered.

_He stared despondently at the wall. He had screwed up. He had ruined their perfect moment and now it was over. _

"_Captain?"_

_Her voice was timid, almost fearful, a rare occurrence for her, but he recognized her immediately. He met his Vice Captain's gaze with a grim face. "Yes, Matsumoto?"_

"_General Yamamoto is asking for you… but before you go, I think I should tell you something." She played with the hem of her sleeve, eyes downcast._

"_What is it?" He questioned, suspicious with the fact that Matsumoto was being so serious. Had the arrancar advanced?_

"_It's about Yuuki. General Yamamoto wants to speak about Yuuki." She explained briefly. _

_He could feel himself go cold at the mention of her name. "What does he want with…?"_

"_I'm sorry. I think you should go now, we're all waiting." _

_He nodded stiffly and stood up. He reached the living room in a timely manner, confused that nearly all shinigami but those in training were present. _

"_Nice of you to join us." Yamamoto croaked, his voice raspy from age._

"_Yes, of course." Hitsugaya answered, snapping to attention._

"_Your Shinigami cohorts have told me that you and a certain human are getting very attached, is this correct?"_

_He turned to glance at Matsumoto, but she did not return his gaze. Everyone was avoiding his eyes. He felt betrayed. Despite this, he nodded. "We are friends."_

"_Friends? Is that all?"_

_Hitsugaya swallowed. "Yes." He answered as firmly as he could manage._

_General Yamamoto's voice grew in volume, a sudden outburst in the quiet room. "Do not lie to me, Captain Hitsugaya!"_

_He took a few steps backward, shocked as the screen changed from General Yamamoto to him and Yuuki, invariably holding hands and hugging. He felt his face flush from humiliation. He was being publicly humiliated in front of his teammates, his coworkers, his Vice Captain. He turned his head, he couldn't watch._

"_Let me ask you again, Captain Hitsugaya. Are you or are you not more than friends?"_

_He flinched, but nodded. "Not… not… It's not her fault." He stuttered. He was struggling to find the right words in the presence of other Shinigami. He felt like an idiot. "I was… I advanced. She had nothing to do with it. She tried to stop me, but I didn't listen." He paused for a moment before adding. "Don't do anything to her."_

_The room was eerily quiet, and all he could hear was General Yamamoto's breathing. _

"_Very well then, the human will not be punished, however, Captain, I am sure you are aware of the rules. Please recite rule #642, and do tell, what is that under?"_

_Hitsugaya looked down. He felt like a child again, being chastised, made to recite rules that he had memorized years ago. General Yamamoto was going through much to humiliate him. "It is under Shinigami and Human Contact. It states that one is strictly cautioned against human-shinigami relationships."_

"_And the captain's clause?"_

_He paused for a few moments before answering. _

"_Look at me when you speak!" General Yamamoto's voice roared._

_Hitsugaya could see the Yumichika and Matsumoto jump through his peripheral vision. Nonetheless, he lifted his head to meet the General's angry gaze. "It states that human-shinigami relationships are strictly forbidden in the case of a Captain no matter the circumstance. If the rule is broken, one is revoked of their title for potentially endangering the lives of others through the spread of information and/or..." He stopped for a moment, his voice becoming dull. "… emotional boundaries. Severe actions may be taken depending on the circumstance, including exile."_

_The General nodded in approval. "You don't want to lose your Captain status, do you?"_

_Hitsugaya remained grim. "No."_

"_Since you were fortunate enough to have your Vice Captain inform me about this issue before it got out of hand, I will let you off." He paused for a moment, taking in a few laboured breaths. "I apologize that it has to end this way, but you must end your relationship with Yuuki. You are forbidden to pursue any kind of relationship – and that includes friendship – with her."_

_He looked at the ground. He felt horribly betrayed, but he knew that in the end this was better for them. This was better for Yuuki. He nodded grimly._

_When the meeting had finished, he had left and taken his anger out on a tree outside. Each punch to it's base shot a jolt of pain through his arm, and for that moment it was the only thing that kept his mind off of what he had to do._

He let out another tortured scream and punched the wall again. He felt like filth, he was convinced he was filth. He slumped to the ground again, clutching tufts of hair in his fists. He imagined Yuuki crying by herself in some dark alley and guilt crushed at his heart. It was his fault, everything was his fault.

He blacked out.

**A/N: **I know, you guys are probably just ready to kill me right about now. And, probably even more so when I say that I won't be able to update for around a week and a half or so… I am going on vacation and won't have access to a computer. So you guys are going to have to wait for like more than a week for the next update – sorry guys! Please review, I really want to hear your opinions on this particular chapter… I promise I'll update as soon as I get back!

**REPLIES**

**TideDrop: **Haha, none taken. Thanks so much for enjoying it! And uh, sorry in advance if you can't focus because of this chapter…

**LaZyMoMo: **Oh, wow, thanks. : )

**ThreatreChick07: **Thank you! I was trying to get that across and I'm glad it did for at least one person!

**NeverGoodbyeRoxas: **I totally know what you mean!! I've read so many OC stories where it's either this MarySue type character of some badass who believes she is better than Toushirou (which obviously is practically impossible /bias). Haha, it's refreshing to see that people have the same views as me! I was inspired to create a HitsugayaXOC fanfic in hopes of showing the world that we _are_ capable of going beyond the stereotypes... very entertaining to read your review, thanks again!

**Erina: **I know, I know. I'm also pretty sure you're one of the people who wants to kill me for this chapter (16). I will clear up what happened for you in a condensed version:

Basically, Hitsugaya never mentioned her mother, but rather, slipped in a "I like you" by mistake. He was never meant to say it, but he did and that is when Yuuki pushes him away and claims she can't do this because she doesn't want to interfere with Hitsugaya's relationship regarding Hinamori. She doesn't want to take Hitsugaya away from Hinamori, is basically her belief. Hope that helped!

Again, next update will be around 1.5 weeks from now… so sorry for making you guys wait! Hope you guys don't get bored of waiting and forget about Promise. : )


	17. Chapter 17

Hitsugaya stirred, shifting onto his other side. He felt someone shaking his shoulder and instantly sat upright. He turned quickly to face Matsumoto who was kneeled beside him.

"Captain… what happened?" She questioned in a hush tone. Matsumoto had returned after buying a few groceries to see the wall stained with blood and her Captain unconscious on the floor.

He rubbed his head, for a moment wondering where he was. How long had he been out? He clasped his hands together, only to see the bloody reminder of what he had done. He coughed and mumbled. "Nothing."

"There's blood on the wall…" She stated with a confused look. And then in a quieter voice she asked. "What did you do?"

"Maybe I wouldn't have done anything if a _certain vice captain_ didn't go and tell the General to keep tabs on me!" He shouted. He watched her flinch and heaved a sigh, he hadn't meant to yell. With an exasperated groan he held his head in his hands. In a calmer voice he whispered, "Why?"

He felt pathetic. Deep down, he knew. He knew that she was just trying to protect him, he knew it was protocol. But he still felt betrayed.

"I'm sorry." Matsumoto whispered. "I thought if you saw Hinamori again you would realize what was happening and stop hanging around Yuuki so much…"

Hitsugaya lifted his head to glance at her. "What? Hinamori? What does she have to do with anything?" He paused for a moment, trying to comprehend what she was talking about, and then it struck him. "I see." He answered dully and forced a chuckle. "So that is why I got to see Hinamori… I suppose your plan backfired."

"I'm sorry." She whispered again. "You and I both know that it was something impossible. A human and a Shinigami… it's just unheard of. I know that you are aware of the, erm…" She lowered her voice a notch. "_… consequences."_

Yes, he was aware. Of course he was aware of the ramifications. He had been made to recite it at the horrible meeting. He dropped his gaze to the floor. "Why did you… encourage?"

"I wanted you to lighten up." Matsumoto answered, wringing her hands. "I thought maybe if you befriended Yuuki, it would take your mind off of her."

He felt his shoulders slump a little. He figured by her, she meant Hinamori. "You know that I can't just… do that. "

"It worked, didn't it?"

He clenched his teeth, caught off guard. He paused for a moment, thinking. In a way, it _had_ worked. "I suppose." He ventured. Then bitterly, he added, "But in the end…"

"I'm sorry." Matsumoto cut him off, not wanting to hear any further. "I know, I made a mistake. I never thought you would actually grow that _attached_ to her. I only wanted to help. I had to fix my own mistake, even if it meant hurting you." She paused, feeling nervous. "In the end… you would have only hurt Yuuki more. It was best to end it before anything started… before you were in too deep."

He nodded numbly and turned away from her. "I don't want to speak about this anymore."

"I understand." Matsumoto stood and quickly and shuffled to the door. "It's not your fault."

Hitsugaya settled on the ground again, listening to the door click shut. His eyes flickered to the futon where a sliver of light from the moon shone onto it. He let out a bitter chuckle. _Never again_, he thought silently. _Never again._

He closed his eyes, suddenly feeling very tired.

He lay there for what seemed like just a moment, before he heard the door open once more. He groaned wondered why Matsumoto had come back.

"Captain, wake up!"

He continued to lie there, wondering if the Arrancar had finally advanced and oddly, he didn't quite care.

"Captain! It's urgent!"

He pretended to sleep. He didn't want to be bothered.

"She's missing! Yuuki's missing!"

---

Yuuki stared at the rivulets of water dripping onto her leg. It was raining. She had been sitting on this park bench for what seemed like hours. She had heard people pass by and whisper things but was glad that no one had come up to her. She didn't feel like talking.

"Shouldn't you be going home, little girl?"

She sighed inwardly. _So much for that idea._

She lifted her head to see a man seated beside her, looking off in the distance from beneath an umbrella. He held it in such a way that it was shielding her from the rain as well. She smiled faintly. At least this man had manners. He looked kindly enough, with brown hair and thick rimmed spectacles. Her eyes shifted to his clothes, just to make sure he wasn't some creepy homeless man. He was wearing a smartly pressed dress shirt, black slacks and expensive looking leather shoes topped off with an expensive looking watch. She could feel herself breathe a sigh of relief; he was probably just some businessman going out for a nightly stroll. She shrugged. "I don't want to go home."

"Don't tell me you're a runaway." He chuckled and Yuuki liked his voice. Thought it was nice. Friendly and warm.

"Not quite." She answered. "I'm just delaying going home, I guess."

He looked at her for the first time, and she was rather startled by his looks. Despite his age, she found him rather attractive. In that old-man-she-would-never-marry kind of way.

He gave her a warm smile and began speaking. "Well, I went home and had dinner. Considered going for a smoke, but remembered I haven't done that in years and went for a walk instead. Now that I've told how _I_ g0t here, mind telling me how _you_ did? I'm certain there are some tears mingled with that rainwater."

"I fell." She lied lamely.

"I don't see any scratches on you."

She flushed, slightly embarrassed for being caught in her lie. She rubbed her hands together to make warmth. "Let's just say I got involved with the wrong person."

"Ahh." He seemed to revel in his discovery. "A heartbreaking boy, was it?"

"Yes." She admitted, and then as an afterthought she added, "A heartbreaking jerk would be more correct."

He raised his brows in amusement. "I suppose. So how do you know him?"

"He's a friend of my brother's." She answered. "His name his Toushirou, so if you want to beat him up, be my guest." Yuuki looked over at him when the man didn't say anything. He turned to return her eye contact but she promptly looked away, embarrassed for being caught staring at him. She watched from the corner of her eye as the man tilted his head to one side to peer at her.

"Tell me, Yuuki… how is that brother of yours?"

---

He could feel himself go cold at the mention of her name. _Yuuki? Missing?_ He opened his mouth to say something and awkwardly shut it.

"Yuuki is missing." Matsumoto repeated. "Isshin, he just called…"

He seemed to find his voice that instant. "She's not. She can't be. I saw her today."

"You saw her hours ago, Captain." Matsumoto answered grimly. "Where do you think she went?"

In a flurry of movement, Hitsugaya stood up and strode towards the door. He took out a Soul Candy and swallowed it, reverting to his Shinigami form. "I have to find her."

"Captain!"

He ignored her and briskly made his way over to the door. He opened the door with urgency, still ignoring Matusmoto's calls. He heard her steps drawing nearer and he promptly stepped outside. It was raining. A lot. He swore under his breath and wondered if he had been cursed. Everything was going horribly wrong. Where would Yuuki go when it was raining? He felt Matsumoto's presence beside him, but he didn't turn to face her.

"Captain…" She spoke up, with a tinge of worry in her words. "We have to act rationally… as a Captain you know that you can't just-- …"

"I don't care anymore." He interjected, letting out a deep breath and slowly shaking his head. "I have to go." He turned to look at her and Matsumoto took a step back, slightly shocked.

His eyes were pleading.

Pleading with her.

To let him go.

She nodded stiffly. "I'll do what I can."

---

He was running blindly, rain whipping against his face. His robes were getting drenched and his captain's robe was heavy from the rainwater. He clenched his fist, imagining the worst possible scenarios.

Yuuki screaming for help.

Her tear-streaked face.

Her body lying in a ditch.

He gritted his teeth and increased his pace. He would find her. He had to.

---

Yuuki craned her neck ever so slightly to face the man seated beside her. He was still smiling, but now she saw differently. As calmly as she could she questioned, "I'm sorry?"

"I asked, how is your brother, Yuuki?"

She felt her breath hitch in her throat, and her palms became clammy. She had never seen this man before in her life. She knew something was wrong.

She had never told him her name.

She attempted to calm her breathing and plastered on a smile. "He's doing well. Are you a patient at my father's clinic?" She decided she would end their small talk as politely as possible and run.

"Not quite. I do know Ichigo though."

She stiffened as he dropped the umbrella to the side and reached over to grab onto her hand. It closed over hers completely. "What…?"

"I wouldn't try to run if I were you. Or scream, for that matter. You see, I came here because of your relation with Ichigo, but to my pleasant surprise you seem to be even closer with Captain Hitsugaya then I had thought." He continued to smile at her, as if he had just broken the most wonderful news. She watched as rainwater soaked his hair and dripped down the bridge of his nose. He suddenly didn't look so handsome anymore.

She would run.

She had to run.

As if he had read her mind, his grasp tightened on both her hands. "Listen to me closely. If you run, I will catch you. Do you understand?" He peered at her, his spectacles glinting in the moonlight.

She nodded even though she didn't.

"Good. If you scream, nobody will hear." He waited to see her nod, and when she did he continued "I wonder who would go out on a rainy day?"

It seemed like a rhetorical question but she could feel her heart sink as he continued to gaze at her.

"Yuuki?"

She swallowed and answered quietly. "Nobody."

"Now do you understand that your chances are impossible?" His eyes crinkled when he chuckled.

She understood the hopelessness of the situation and nodded once more.

His smile widened and opened his mouth to speak. "I am sorry to say that I am also a heartbreaking jerk." He gazed at her, observing her, obviously pleased with her alarmed expression. "Don't worry. Your comment didn't offend me. It was rather accurate." He paused and lifted his gaze to the sky, as if remembering a great past memory. He faced her once more, his face suddenly very solemn. "I broke a girl's heart once." He leaned so close to her that she could feel his lips brush against her ear when he whispered.

"I tried to kill her, you see."

---

Hitsugaya swerved to avoid collision with a sign post. He was moving so fast, he didn't know where he was going. He could hear the insistent beeping of his phone, and felt a tad hopeful. He picked it up. "Did you find her?"

He could hear Matsumoto breathing on the phone, and then her voice. "No, but there is an unusual spirit power, it's probably a Hollow or something. By the park, the one where Yuuki…"

He shut the phone off. That was all he needed to hear. With more flashsteps then he could count, he went as fast as he could to the park. The very park where she had punched him, and at this moment he hoped she was using her defensive skills. He would never forgive himself if she was hurt. He leaped onto a roof, to get a better view when he could sense the reiatsu. It was faint, but it was there.

With an increasing frenzy, he followed it, jumping from roof to roof and just hoping to catch a glimpse of Yuuki, safe and unharmed. He slowed, as he saw two people sitting on a bench. He recognized Yuuki immediately, but the other he couldn't tell. He gritted his teeth as he saw him lean into her. Who was he? Their faces were concealed by the trees' shadow. He watched him move away from her and for a moment he wondered if his heart stopped as he realized who it was.

_Aizen._

---

**A/N**: I was able to update faster then I thought. I'm hoping this chapter will kind of explain Matsumoto's betrayal. As for everyone who thinks Yamamoto is a bad guy, let's just say he really loves his rules. Or at least, in this story he does. : ) I'm really pleased with all the reviews, I didn't think I'd receive a whopping 12! Thanks a lot for reviewing while I was away… I apologize but there won't be any replies this time around. I feel rather tired. Well, hope everyone had a merry Christmas! The next chapter will be arriving sometime soon-ish, when I get all the kinks worked out. : ) Thanks again for all your reviews, I was very pleased! Please continue to read and review.


	18. Chapter 18

"You remind me of her."

Yuuki could feel herself go cold as she heard those words. _This_ was the man Toushirou spoke about. _This_ was the man who had taken Hinamori from him. The very man that Hinamori had fallen for, and which she hadn't quite understood and yet she had been fooled by him too. Thought he was nice, genuine. How wrong she had been. For a moment she sympathized with Hinamori, if she had fallen for his trap within ten minutes of talking to him she couldn't help but wonder what years could do to a person.

He let go of her hand, brushing his fingers against the length of her arm and letting his arm rest around her shoulders. He felt her tense, and he smiled. "Your reactions are different, though. She would have loved it if I had done this to her."

Yuuki turned away. She hated being examined like some kind of lab specimen. Compared to someone she hardly knew. Her heartbeat quickened as she felt him pull her closer to him, She cringed, the similarity of what was happening between this man and Toushirou was staggering and wrong; a paradox.

"Don't be afraid." He whispered into her ear, drawing her closer. "I missed the company of a young girl. Forgot how refreshing it can be."

"Please…" She croaked, her voice was hoarse. She found it odd to hear her voice. "You don't have to do this."

He chuckled. "I missed the ignorance of a young girl too."

Yuuki remained silent.

With his other hand he removed his glasses, pocketing them. "Troublesome, they are. They tend to get foggy when it rains."

She watched in silent terror, wondering how this man could be so jubilant and nonchalant, making small talk like they were great friends or even father to daughter.

"Well, while we're here sitting… might as well have a nice chat before we go. Take a long look, this might be the last time you see ah, Karakura Town, was it?"

"Go where?" Yuuki asked with fear.

"To Hueco Mundo." He answered.

"What are you going to do with me…?" She would keep this conversation as long as possible. He was planning to take her elsewhere. She decided she had to run when he least expected it. But when would that be?

"Don't be so worried. I plan to become King of Soul Society. You could be the princess. Wouldn't that be fun?"

She looked down, unsure of what to say.

He shrugged, chuckling at his own joke. "I guess my conversational skills are getting rusty… those damn Arrancar seem to speak too little or too much."

He seemed to be talking to himself, Yuuki inferred. She decided she would have to run. For thirty seconds she listened as he rambled on about something called 'Arrancar' and decided he wouldn't be stopping any time soon. She took a deep breath in an attempt to calm her nerves, and ten bolted upright while shrugging his arm off her shoulders. She could feel her breathing quicken, her footsteps pounding one after the other as she tried to run a patch of trees, the only place she had seen as a plausible hiding place. She kept her eyes on the trees, listening to the blood rush in her ears, hoping she would outrun him. Suddenly, her view changed from dull green to a brilliant white. She stopped to avoid collision and stumbled backwards.

_Oh God._

"I told you not to run, didn't I?"

---

"Ehh, you're not Ichigo."

Hitsugaya turned sharply. Someone had snuck up behind him. He came face to face with a blue-haired arrancar. He closed his eyes in frustration, he could only focus on the fact that Aizen was with Yuuki.

"Spying on Aizen, huh? I was pretty surprised when he decided to do this too… even more so when he decided to bring me along." He smirked, cocking his head to one side.

"I have nothing to do with you." Hitsugaya spoke, his tone icy.

"You're right. I'd rather fight that Ichigo, you know?" He pointed to the scar running along his abdomen. "Revenge for this, but I mean, I guess for now you'll do…"

Hitsugaya gritted his teeth, taking a step back and shifting his weight from one leg to another. His hand rested on the hilt of his zanpakuto.

He would have to engage in battle.

---

Matsumoto stared at her cell phone two more dots appeared on the grid map. She felt a dull sense of hopelessness as she realized who they wereShe observed the blinking dots, judging by the dots on the map it was logical to say that Hitsugaya was probably in battle with one of them. The other was on the opposite side, near what appeared to be more trees and probably keeping guard while the original stayed near the park area.She turned to face Ikkaku and Yumichika. "They're here."

They both nodded, a grim expression gracing their features.

"We have to remove the seals." Yumchika stated with urgency. "Captain Hitsugaya seems to have met one of them already… and what about Ichigo and Renji? We should call for back up immediately."

Mastumoto nodded. "I'll get on that."

---

Yuuki stared at the man, frozen with fear. His appearance had changed drastically from the homely businessman to some kind of inverted Shinigami.

"I'm a little disappointed, to be honest." He drawled, his hand curling around the hilt of his sword. "I thought you would be a good girl. I guess I was wrong. You know, I don't have to take you if you hate me that much… I could always go for one of your sisters…"

"No." Yuuki stated. "No, please don't hurt them."

He chuckled, taking a step forward to ruffle her hair. "I always knew you were good. I've been watching you for a while."

She shivered at his words, thoroughly disturbed.

"Maybe if we wait long enough, your brother will come." He took a step closer, his smile widening. "Then you can watch me kill him."

She dropped her gaze to the ground, suddenly overwhelmed. If she stayed and waited, surely Ichigo would come… but against this man he would die. If she followed, they would have time… but who knew if they would be able to find her?

"Or you could come to Hueco Mundo with me, peacefully and delay your brother's death."

She gritted her teeth, balling her hands into fists. "What do you want from me?"

He peered at her, and then cleared his throat. "I get lonely sometimes."

For a split second, she observed him. He looked so sad and Yuuki couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for this man.

"But most of all, I want to kill your brother. Grimmjow tells me he was quite troublesome during their fight. Well then again, he is rather weak." He paused for a moment, regarding her with indifference. "Ichigo is learning some new trick that could become rather tiring. Maybe I'll kill the other Shinigami here while I'm at it. It's best to wipe them out in small groups. I'm sure that old man Yamamoto won't be sending a whole brigade after one little girl…"

Every ounce of sympathy disappeared from her. This man was a murderer.

A sudden burst of light caught their attention. Yuuki looked up to see what it was.

"Ah, it looks like our little Shiro is already here."

She could feel her insides twist with fear as she watched another person race after him, swiping his sword like a madman.

Aizen turned to look at her. "That's Grimmjow." When her silence continued, he added. "You know, I was going to take Karin." He smiled when he saw her eyes widen. "Her attraction to Toushirou was obvious. I figured he would be reeled in with guilt… but…"

She flinched as he drew nearer.

"I like you better." He straightened, grinning at her. "I was pleasantly surprised to see that you two are more involved than I had thought."

Yuuki stared up at the man in sudden realization. She was an idiot. She had endangered Toushirou with her carelessness. She had given his name to this man, cementing their relationship. Gave him another motive for her kidnapping. She struggled to say something, and finally whispered. "We don't have a relationship."

His eyes crinkled, smiling at her. "Quite the contrary, dear Yuuki. He must love you dearly if he arrived in such a timely manner."

---

Hitsugaya stumbled backward, trying to reflect all the blows that were raining down on him. He gritted his teeth. He did not like being on defense.

"You know, for a Captain you kind of…"

He tilted his sword, switching to his left hand. He placed his palm on the end of the sword's hilt, attempting to vertically ram it into Grimmjow's throat. He muttered a curse as he watched him leaped back, just nicking his cheek. Normally, he would not have used such a cheap move but now he didn't have time.

Grimmjow scoffed, wiping at his cheek with the back of his hand. "Kind of suck." He raised his sword.

He searched for an opening, eyeing Grimmjow. He stifled a groan as the sword fell on him again; he quickly raised his to block it, his left arm shaking from the weight. As Grimmjow raised his sword to strike again, he flashstepped a meter or so away.

Grimmjow grinned, stopping only for a split second before attacking again. His eyes widened in surprise, as his sword did not come in contact with Hitsugaya's zanpakuto, but with his fist.

Hitsugaya grimaced as he watched the blood spill down his hand, the sword biting in between his knuckles. He raised his sword with his free hand, his right, and took a quick stab at Grimmjow's abdomen before retreating.

Grimmjow took a few steps backward, surprised. He turned to look at his wound, as blood poured from the incision. "Nice." He commented with a sly smile. "But not really, now your left hand is busted."

"Captain!"

Hitsugaya looked up to see Matsumoto, Yumichika, Ikkaku and Renji racing towards him. He felt slight relief, but only for a split second. He grunted as he found himself suddenly thrown back.

"I can do cheap moves too." Grimmjow snarled, immediately releasing cero.

Hitsugaya found himself engulfed, too caught in the moment to escape.

---

Yuuki screamed as she saw Hitsugaya thrown into a tree by a huge red light. She could feel the tears well in her eyes and she promptly looked away.

"See?" Aizen murmured, reaching out with a hand to cup her chin, bringing her to look at him. "I'll make his death quick, just for you."

She let out a strangled cry, and lunged towards him, punching and clawing at his robes.

He stumbled backwards, surprised with the added weight. Then he pushed her down, threw her to the ground. "Are you trying to fight with me?"

She stood up, recovering quickly. "No," She breathed. She took a step back. She didn't know what she was doing, but suddenly she felt her body tense. Freeze.

"Do you feel that?" He snarled, increasing his reiatsu.

Yuuki dropped to the ground, grimacing as her bare knees scraped along the cement.

"I don't think you understand." He stated with nonchalance. "I don't have to take you alive."

---

Hitsugaya clenched his teeth, examining himself. He attempted to stand, only to find that his leg had been broken. He was foolish to have been distracted. He couldn't concentrate properly. He felt Aizen's reiatsu instantly, and he couldn't help but watch as he saw Yuuki fall to the ground.

He had to get to her.

Panting, he steadied himself, keeping as much weight off of his leg as possible. He watched as Matsumoto intervened, deflecting blows that were probably meant for him. Blinking the dust from his eyes, he muttered. "Bankai."

He felt the cool tendrils of ice encase around his right arm and leg. He grimaced as the ice around his leg coiled tightly, temporarily aligning his broken bone and acting as a cast. He mentally mumbled a thanks to Hyourinmaru.

He knew there was no way to kill Aizen in his state.

---

Yuuki struggled to speak, and with much difficult she mumbled, "What?"

"I'm disappointed." Aizen stated. "Well, not disappointed… but now that everyone except your brother --who by the way should be arriving soon-- seems to be here, I think it is safe to assume that you are not needed any longer."

She watched as he raised his hand. He half expected him to knock her out or to ruffle her hair again. Instead, she found it much worse as his hand curled around the hilt of his sword. She felt the reiatsu strengthen and she could no longer lift her head, a great weight pressing down on her neck to keep her looking at the ground. He mumbled something she couldn't quite hear. He unsheathed the sword slowly, as if marveling at the very idea of killing her.

"I'm sorry it had to end this way." He whispered, before raising his sword to behead her.

---

Hitsugaya's eyes widened, watching in silent horror as Aizen raised his sword. _No, no, no, no, no… _

He slammed his foot on the ground, wincing as a jolt of pain shot up his leg as he flashstepped to her. He raised his sword up in defense, feeling slightly relieved as he felt Aizen's sword clash into his, sparks ricocheting off.

"Oh?" Aizen murmured, only mildly surprised. "So you decided to come out of hiding after all. You're more capable than I thought. Saving your little girlfriend from death? What would Hinamori think…"

"I'll kill you!" Hitsugaya retorted, grunting as Aizen exerted more weight onto the sword. He felt the pressure on his leg, and knew that it would soon give way.

Yuuki felt the reiatsu lift a fraction, and she raised her head to see Hitsugaya standing before her, ice wings fanning out behind him like a barrier. She felt both relieved and horrified at the same time.

Aizen leaped back, chuckling. "What did I tell you, Yuuki?" He cocked his head to one side to peer down at her, and then became amused when Hitsugaya stepped to the side, blocking his view. "I only wanted a last glance before I left. I won't waste my time here any longer."

Hitsugaya watched as a black portal opened in the sky near Aizen. "No!" He shouted, swinging his sword toward Aizen.

Aizen dodged it effortlessly, bringing his sword upwards and scratching the front of his robes in a teasing manner. "You won't be able to damage me in that weakened state." He stated with mock pity.

Hitsugaya raised his sword to strike again, thoroughly angered.

Aizen watched with slight disgust, and quickly grabbed onto his wrist to stop the blow. His grip tightened when Hitsugaya struggled, giving him a serene smile as he heard a satisfying crack. He grabbed a handful of his robes and drew him nearer. "The only reason I'm not killing you this instant, is because _she_ is watching. If you don't want her to see you die, I suggest you back off. I won't hesitate to kill her too." His smile widened, and threw him back.

Hitsugaya braced himself for the fall, wincing as his broken leg took most of the impact, but still he managed to remain in a standing position. He watched with frustration as Aizen stepped into the portal.

"Goodbye Yuuki." Aizen whispered, and then looked towards Grimmjow's direction. "Finish them."

Hitsugaya took a few steps backwards, watching as Aizen disappeared. He gritted his teeth. He hated being weak. He turned to look at the sky, watching Matsumoto, Renji, Yumichika and Ikkaku faring well. He saw a blur of orange rushing towards them and felt slightly more secure to see Ichigo drawing near to help them with that pesky Arrancar.

"… Toushirou?"

He turned sharply, to see Yuuki standing and felt a great sense of relief. His wrist was throbbing, and he figured it was probably broken too. He ignored the pain and took a few large strides towards her, then stopping a little ways away from her. He remembered what he had done. He just stared at her guiltily, unsure of what to say. He wanted to ask her if she was okay, he wanted to embrace her, hug her, but he couldn't bring himself to. Not after what he had done to her.

Yuuki's gaze flickered to the ground, and then back at him, feeling slightly uneasy. Their relationship had taken an awkward turn. He had pushed her away, and yet, he had still saved her life. He looked intimidating, with his ice wings fanning out behind him, sword in hand. She felt like they had just met for the first time. She took a deep breath and whispered. "Thank you."

He relaxed a little, taking a few steps towards her. He dropped his sword and felt a hiss of disapproval from Hyourinmaru, but he ignored it. "I…" He licked his lips, feeling out of place. He didn't know what to say. He just continued to stare at her, reassuring himself that she was safe, alive, standing before him.

And then suddenly, she disappeared.

---

**A/N: **I will firstly say that I fail at writing epic battle scenes (not that there should have been, anyway). I hope it wasn't too bad. Thanks so much for your reviews guys, it makes me happy that the number of reviews per chapter is increasing. Please continue to read and review! And yes, I left you all with a cliffhanger, please don't kill me.

**REPLIES:  
Erina: **I am sorry to say but Hitsugaya will forever remain a Captain. The prospect of making Yuuki into one is tempting (and overused for an OC character, might I add), however, I have a totally different plan for her. As for Aizen's interest in Yuuki… that will remain a secret. : )

**B a y o – B a y o: **I love you too? xD It's fine, I understand people can't review a hundred percent of the time. Thanks for your review!

**NewSlove: **I was actually hoping to trick someone into thinking that! With the whole, eye crinkle and all… haha, thanks for your review!

**Thorch Phoenix: **Glad to see another reader! Thanks very much for your support.

**Xoxo: **I tend to update whenever I can, which usually ends up being once a week … or twice a week if I've got a lot of chapters done. Thanks for your interest!

**NeverGoodbyeRoxas: **Happy New Years to you too! To think I'm updating on Jan 1st… eerie coincidence I guess. Matsumoto doesn't want to lose her Captain. : ) Thanks again for your feedback!

Once again, thank you all for reviewing and hope you guys have a happy new year.


	19. Chapter 19

He stared at the vacant spot in shock, attempting to wrap his mind around the very idea that Yuuki had simply disappeared right before his eyes. _A trap? _He wondered, silently cursing himself for being so foolish.

"Yuuki!"

He heard Ichigo scream, and quickly turned his head, blinking the sudden blood from his eye. He looked to the ground immediately to stop the blood from flowing into his eye, feeling even more like an idiot. He frowned, rubbing at his eye and it was then it occurred to him that he had not been cut.

It took him a moment to realize that the blood was not his.

His head snapped up instantaneously, his vision now cleared. His eyes met sight to the sharp point of a sword, and then further expanded. He gaped in mute horror at the scene before him, a numb understanding spreading throughout him.

The blood was Yuuki's.

---

_Yuuki smiled faintly at Hitsugaya, in hopes of showing him how grateful she was. She felt her smile disappear as she saw something glinting curiously behind him. She frowned, confused until the glinting object began elongating at a frightening speed, headed straight towards him. She stood frozen, as she realized that it was not just any object, but the tip of a sword. Her heartbeat quicken as she remembered their very first conversation, as she remembered his words…_

'_Shinigamis can die.'_

_She opened her mouth to scream, to warn, but nothing came out. They were stubbornly stuck there, in her mind, refusing to surface. If only she could block it, shield him somehow. She watched the sword draw nearer, curving ever so slightly which was seemingly aimed for his heart with a deadly accuracy. She shut her eyes tightly, only one thought going through her mind._

_There was Soul Society after death, but after Soul Society what was there?._

_No._

_She would not let this happen._

Yuuki teetered, mind not fully registering the fact that a _sword_ was protruding from her right shoulder, that her, of all people, had been stabbed. She glanced down with a distant surprise at the sword that had been impaled into her, vaguely wondering how she had leaped in front of him. She did not remember running. Her eyes traveled along the length of sword, to see another man she had never seen before smiling with amusement down at her, eyes crinkled into slits, as he gave her a coy smile. His brilliant white hair was a stark contrast against the night sky, and for a moment she thought of Toushirou. She made eye contact with the man for only a fleeting moment, before she was forced to drop her gaze as she felt the sword retract, a harrowing pain jolting through her body. She gasped, turning towards Toushirou.

She stumbled forward, another flash of pain wracking through her body. She glanced down at herself again, a sickening crimson tainting her shirt, the silver point visible once more and she vaguely understood that she had been stabbed again. She heard someone calling her name, but they seemed distant, far away.

---

It took him a few moments to understand that she had been stabbed, he had watched for a second as the blood soaked her shirt. With his left hand he attempted to grab his sword but the bloodied hilt was slippery, and he could not get a firm grasp. He fumbled with the sword awkwardly, commanding his left hand to hold, to grab, to do something productive. He watched her turn towards him, heard her gasping from shock, pain, he didn't know what. He stopped what he was doing, analyzing her wounds. It was only her shoulder, surely it could be healed.

And then, right before his very eyes, the sword had plunged through her again. His eyes widened in distress as another crimson flower bloomed.

_No. This was not happening. This had to be an illusion._ He tried to convince himself that what he was seeing was simply impossible, but still, he reached his arms out as she fell towards him.

---

"Yuuki!" Matsumoto called, halting battle for a moment as she watched in horror at what was unfolding.

She had seen her disappear, no, what appeared to be a _flashstep_ in front of her Captain. She had been shocked by Gin's appearance, and even more so by what he had done. The swords clashing, Ichigo yelling obscenities and her comrades fighting beside her suddenly became very distant. She watched with confusion, and then anger, as Gin retraced his sword, as he cocked his head to one side, as he frowned just slightly in which she knew to be in disappointment. That he had not killed her, that he had just narrowly missed her heart. She saw him take a step back, a stance she had seen many times before, and then she also saw the concentrated face she once knew, adjusting his aim, ready to strike again.

_No._

She tried to call out, but the word stuck in her throat, refusing to come out. She flashstepped forward as quickly as she could, her sword set out before her. She would stop him from harming the innocent girl. With a distressed yell, she leapt forward, swiping her sword to one side and bringing it up in hopes of stopping Gin.

It was then, a peculiar thing happened. She felt her body pitch forward, and she was just barely able to regain her balance from the force she exerted as she felt her sword slice _through_ Gin's as easy as air. She watched his zanpakuto visibly break where she had cut it, as it retracted, pointed no longer.

Her gaze followed the sword, to its owner, to Gin. Her first instinct was that it was an illusion, a form of kidou to trick her but she knew it wasn't as Gin's equally confused face glared back at her.

---

Hitsugaya winced as Yuuki fell heavily on him, he took a step back on his broken leg, suddenly feeling drained of his strength, he felt his bankai dissolving. He watched her eyes flutter open and closed, and he fell to his knees, still clutching onto her. _This couldn't be happening._

"Toushirou…" Yuuki whispered. The rain had subsided a while ago, but her face still felt wet. She wondered when she had begun crying.

"It's okay. You're going to be okay." He answered quickly, tightening his hold on her as he examined her wounds. Her shirt was soaked almost entirely with blood, and he felt a dull sense of hopelessness overcome him.

'_It's okay, it won't happen again. I promise.'_

Hadn't he promised to protect her? Hadn't he? He drew her closer towards him, her head resting on his shoulder and he all at once he knew he had failed to protect her. Not only had he broken her heart, but he had failed to do the one thing he had promised. He took off his Captain's robe and wrapped it tightly around her in hopes of staunching the blood flow, but very quickly the robe grew spotted with dark red. She was bleeding heavily.

"I'm going to die." She replied weakly, raising an arm to grab onto his sleeve. "I'm going to die."

"No." He interjected. "You are not going to die. It's not that bad, it's just…" He was rambling, he knew. He didn't know what else to do. He stopped talking, and dropped his head. "It was a mistake."

"What was?"

He heard her whisper faintly, and he looked into her eyes. "Following those stupid orders. For hurting you, breaking up with you… I… all that stuff I said, I didn't mean it. I don't think of you like that."

The corners of her lips rose in a soft smile. "I know." When he continued to look at her, confused she began to explain. "He told me."

He froze for an instant, slightly confused as to why Aizen would tell her such things. She felt him grip his kimono sleeve tighter and he drew her nearer to whisper in her ear "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay." She heard her voice crack, and suddenly fresh tears sprang into her eyes. "I don't… I don't want to die…"

"I said you're not going to die." He stated firmly, and then softly added. "You can't die. Please."

Yuuki saw such sadness in his eyes, she began to cry harder. She could feel tears dripping down her face and into her ears, suddenly thinking about the people she would leave, about her family.

"You can't leave me."

She gave him a small smile, crying still. "It's okay, I'll just see you in Soul Society." It wasn't really a joke, but she forced a chuckle anyway.

'_I'd rather live then die to be a Shinigami.'_

The words echoed in his mind, a great feeling of dread overwhelming him. He hugged her closer towards himself, feeling slightly calmer when he felt her warmth. She drew her arms weakly around him, and he felt her smile against his cheek and imagined her dimpled smile. She turned her head slightly to place a chaste kiss on his cheek, but she couldn't help but start crying again.

"Hey, don't cry anymore… I'll ask Matsumoto to make that famous hairy cheese cake of hers to make you feel better." He whispered with a bitter smile. He felt her sobbing against him, gripping onto his robes, and was a little relieved and frightened at the same time as he heard a light tinkle of laughter.

"I still owe you ice cream." Yuuki whispered back, pressing her face into his shoulder in hopes of suppressing the tears.

He forced a light chuckle. "It's okay. I don't like ice cream anyway."

"Is that even possible?" She scoffed, sounding a little more like herself. "I'll just eat it all on my own."

There was a silence between them, and for a moment he wondered if she was dead. He reassured her that she was still breathing, albeit in pained gasps. He would save her somehow. He would not let her die.

"I'll see you in Soul Society right?"

He felt a small tug at his heart. "You're not going to die."

"Don't lie to me. I know you're a horrible liar." She answered back, and then added. "Here, I'll ask you again. I will see you in Soul Society, right?"

He paused for a moment, and then answered. "Yes. Of course." He smiled bitterly. He couldn't tell her the truth. That she would be reborn and forget everything between them.

---

"What the hell?" Gin seethed in sudden rage. "What the hell did you do, you little _bitch_!"

Matsumoto glared back at him, only to realize that he was no longer looking at her but at Yuuki. She glanced back at Gin, and saw Ichigo racing towards him.

"I'll kill you!" Ichigo screamed, taking great swipes with his zanpakuto. His movements were clumsy, and Gin easily dodged them. Ichigo leapt back, panting. He glanced down at where Hitsugaya and Yuuki were and felt a sudden burst of adrenaline. "You _bastard…_"

He lifted a hand to his face, positioning it in a way that it appeared he was trying to take his face _off. _With a strangled cry, he felt a great increase in energy as he revealed his Hollow form and made way after Gin. He would kill him if it was the last thing he did. With an increased frenzy, he raised his sword in a wide arc and felt a tad bit of satisfaction as he felt it slice down his side smoothly.

Gin flew backwards from the impact, but despite this, he gave Ichigo one last smile and suddenly disappeared through a portal.

Ichigo yelled in frustration as he watched his opponent disappear before him, wondering when that exit had been created. "Get back here!"

"Ichigo!" Matsumoto called out to him, hoping he would not lose control.

He turned sharply towards her, almost yelling a '_what' _and then saw his sister again. _Yuuki._

---

Hitsugaya watched as the other Shinigami approached them. He saw the pain and sadness in their eyes, and knew that they knew as well, but still he refused to believe. He cleared his throat and called out, "Matsumoto…"

Matsumoto took a step closer, unsure of what to say.

"Notify the fourth division immediately, call for emergency medical attention." He ordered.

"But, Captain…" She protested, then in a softer tone. "They can't…" When she saw his fierce gaze, she reached for her mobile phone.

Ichigo stood back, feeling slightly awkward. He had not seen Yuuki in weeks, maybe a month and now she was dying in someone else's arms. He didn't know what to do.

Yuuki heard footsteps, but suddenly everything was very hazy. She didn't quite know what was going on, other then that Hitsugaya was nearby and she was really sleepy. She closed her eyes. "Hey, I'm going to take a quick nap, okay?"

Hitsugaya shifted slightly, and nodded. "Yeah, okay." He felt her breathing slow, until it was so faint that he could barely hear it. Her hands were still tightly grasping at his robes, and it gave him little comfort. She was dying in his arms and he could do nothing about it. He turned to look at her, and she felt her grip loosen all too quickly. This was not happening, he would not let this happen. "Orihime…" He called. "Get Orihime!"

Matsumoto let out strangled sob as she heard her Captain pleading for the appearance of Orihime. She took one step closer. "Captain… she's..."

He turned to look at the trees, ignoring her words and briefly wondering where Gin had come from, and suddenly it hit him.

'_Finish them.'_

He had thought Aizen was talking to Grimmjow. He had let his guard down; he had believed they were safe for the moment. The moment he had dropped his zanpakuto without hesitation was the moment he had killed her. He gave out a small cry of frustration and he couldn't help himself. He nuzzled into the crook of her neck, her arms falling limply to her sides. For the first time in his life he did the only thing he knew he could do.

He cried.

---

**A/N:** It was very hard for me to write this chapter. But I'm sure many of you are surprised with this. I am sorry to say that Promise is drawing to an end; the next chapter (20) will be the finale/end.

I will explain everything on the last chapter. : )

For now, I hope I still have all you people's support, and I really would love to see your reactions to this. Thanks so much for all your reviews, and I do hope that you continue to do so! All your reviews have really given me strength when I needed it (which was a lot). Again, thanks so much!

**REPLIES**:

b a y o – b a y o: Thanks, and apologies if this chapter brings you over the edge!  
Kana090: Your guesses were good, very possible. : )

TideDrop: No worries, I know people can't review every single chapter. And thank you.

NotSupposedToBeHere: Another creative guess. xD

Bloody-Ribbon: Seriously, it was entertaining to read people's guesses… I actually didn't think anyone was going to guess. Yours was the most creative!

Slothy Girl: I was so surprised when I read your review, because I actually wrote the first part of this chapter already and it was Hitsugaya's initial reaction.

Aoi no Kaze: Thank you! I hope your reaction to this chapter (19) is the same. : 

Ishhyyy: I am a monster, I am. D: Or at least after that chapter I am.

Argh, I am being forced away from the computer but I really want to update… so I am terribly sorry that I couldn't reply to everyone; I will on the last chapter! Please enjoy and thanks for everyones reviews once again.


	20. Chapter 20

Hitsugaya examined himself in the mirror, frowning at his reflection. He was dressed in black slacks and suit jacket with a dress shirt that had been ironed a little too much, topped with a ridiculously oversized bowtie that was nearly choking him. He thought he looked silly and even younger wearing this hideous suit, like a checkerboard with all the contrasting white and black. The only that stood out was his eyes. He figured Yuuki would probably laugh at him if she could see him. However, it was custom to dress in black for funerals. With a slight sigh, he undid the bowtie and threw it to the side, unbuttoning a few buttons on his shirt, feeling a little less constricted. He stared at himself in the mirror, still thinking he looked strange but at least better than before. He would at least look presentable.

He was told that he had been in a near delirious state of mind, when he had been forced to separate from her body. He had been told that he was screaming her name and calling out for Orihime to save her, for the medical squad to arrive in order to revive her. He only vaguely remembered Yumichika and Matsumoto restraining him, trying to calm him down while Ikkaku and Renji were forced to detain Ichigo. He had heard Yumichika whisper a _should-we-knock-him-out_? But that was all he had heard, for apparently, he had blacked out on his own.

Urahara had arrived to take care of the body. Make it seem like an accident, and it made him sick that people would lie about her death, but still, he knew that it was perfunctory, part of the protocol anytime human casualties occurred.

A quick knock on the door jarred him back to reality, and he promptly dropped his gaze from his reflection.

"Ready?" Matsumoto called.

He opened the door slowly, revealing himself with a grim expression. He was only going to endure this horrible outfit just once. Only for Yuuki. He heaved a sigh and muttered, "Yeah."

Matsumoto observed him closely. He looked much worse than she had thought, his eyes sunken in from lack of sleep, a duller shade than normal and his face was hollow and sickly looking. Even his skin lacked that healthy glow he always had. "Are you sure about this?"

He took a step forward and gave her a slight nod. "Of course."

Matsumoto reached her hand out, and for a moment he considered taking it. When he remained impassive, she dropped her hand, feeling sheepish. "Just don't worry too much, okay?"

"How can I not?" He answered softly, stuffing a hand into his pant pocket.

"She'll be okay in Soul Society."

He turned his head, staring at the ground. How could he not worry when she wouldn't even remember him?

---

"Hey." Ichigo called, his face stricken with depression.

"Hello." Matsumoto greeted back, forcing a smile. "I hope it hasn't been too hard on you."

Ichigo forced a chuckle. "My little sister died. What do you expect?"

Hitsugaya watched with indifference as the two had a conversation, though it was an awkward one. He shifted his gaze towards the cemetery, feeling a sickening tug at his heart. He even vaguely considered if she would rather have been cremated. He didn't know. They had never spoken of such things. He smiled bitterly to himself, wondering how much else he didn't know about her. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and he turned to see Ichigo staring glumly back at him.

"It's time." Ichigo answered with a pained expression. When Hitsugaya didn't answer, he added. "The memorial service."

They made eye contact for a minute or so, slightly frozen in the moment, both seeing each other's pain, an almost brotherly understanding passing between them. Hitsugaya was the first to break the silence and he answered, "Yeah."

The three of them walked in grim silence, the only sound was their shoes clicking along the tiles as they made their way through the funeral home's main hallway to the service area. Hitsugaya watched as others grouped together, girls who were probably Yuuki's friends, crying in each others arms. They passed a group of parents, and he caught small bits of their hushed whispers.

"..._they say she was in a car accident!"_

"_Oh that poor girl…"_

"…_only 12 years old..."_

"… _found by her brother, lying on the street…"_

"_A hit-and-run?"_

He turned away, feeling disgusted for their speculation on her death. She died, what more was there to it? With an inward sigh, he followed Ichigo and Matsumoto into the room. A few pairs of eyes turned to stare at them, but he didn't mind. Every other person seemed to be preoccupied, whether it be whispering amongst themselves or crying. Everyone seemed to sense the heavy atmosphere.

He was about to sit in one of the very back rows, when he felt someone grab his elbow and pull him back. Surprised, he saw Ichigo staring back at him.

"You should sit in the front." Ichigo mumbled, when he saw the confused expression on Hitsugaya's face he quickly explained. "With the family. My dad wants you to. We all want you to."

Hitsugaya glanced at Matsumoto who gave him an approving nod. He excused himself and slipped by her, to follow Ichigo to the front. He felt awkward, torn out of context, as more and more eyes stared at him, probably wondering who he was and why someone they had never seen before was going to sit with family. He neared the front row, making brief eye contact with Karin, who remained impassive. He passed by her to sit by Isshin and straightened out collar to busy himself. He felt nervous.

Isshin slipped something into his jacket pocket. He reached inside to unveil the heart hairpin that Yuuki had cherished so dearly. He felt his throat constrict, and for a moment he wondered if he was going to tear up, instead he gave him a curious glance, but Isshin just clapped a hand on his shoulder, giving him a sad smile as if ushering him to have it. He just smiled faintly back, feeling a small bit of comfort. He peered over Isshin's shoulder to see Yuzu crying uncontrollably by her father's side.

"We are gathered here to say farewell to Yuuki Kurosaki, who is now in the loving hands of God."

Hitsugaya listened vaguely as the priest spoke out, and he felt uneasy at the prospect of Yuuki's afterlife. Where in Soul Society had she been reborn? What if she was alone somewhere in Rukongai? His gaze drifted from the priest to the casket, which was laid open. He felt his heart drop.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but soon everybody was rising. He stood, feeling disorientated. Ichigo pushed him along, and Hitsugaya slowed his pace to let him pass. They stood on the left side of the casket, and for a brief moment he wondered what she would look like. They stopped short, just a little ways from the casket, and Ichigo who was to his right, turned to face the front. He mimicked his actions.

With a bit of fascination, he watched, as everybody else stood, row by row and walked down to the casket. A lady he figured to be an attendant at the funeral home gave them each a carnation, and one by one, each person approached her. He peered to the side as the very first people made their way through the Kurosaki family, shaking hands.

He saw the first person coming towards him, a woman he had never seen. Mascara tears ran down her face, and yet she reached her hand out and he awkwardly took it, pumping it up and down in a robotic motion. He didn't know what any of this meant. Many strangers came up to him, offering their hand, in which he took each time and watched for a split second as they returned to their respective seats. He figured it was a motion of sorrow, of apology for their loss. He felt eerily out of place as stranger after stranger approached him, most gave him a nod, many whispered an apology and few glanced at him strangely. He only recognized a handful, and they were his Shinigami cohorts.

As the last person passed by, his arm dropped to his side like a rock. He heard a rustle of clothes and watched as the Kurosaki family turned and walked to the casket, placing themselves in a line at the carnation lady like the people had done only moments before. He followed.

Hitsugaya watched as Isshin, the first of the family to approach her, placing the carnation inside the casket. He inferred that family would place it inside. He saw him lean down to whisper something secret in her ear, as he took a hold of her hand and brushed her hair to the side with his fingers.

Yuzu followed next, approaching it in such a timid manner that he couldn't help but wonder if she was going to break down. Her small body shook with sobs, as she too, placed her carnation inside.

Karin copied her twin sister's actions, though she was not crying. Her face remained impassive, unfazed as she mechanically reached down to place the flower inside. For a moment, he couldn't help but wonder why she was so indifferent. She spoke briefly, words he couldn't hear and watched in silence as she nodded her head in some kind of final goodbye.

Hitsugaya took a few steps forward, watching Ichigo's back. Ichigo took a few large strides towards the casket, where he grabbed onto her hand. He could see tears visibly streaming down his face, probably uncaring of who saw. Ichigo leaned down towards her, whispering and stroking her cheek. It was then his turn.

Hitsugaya stumbled forward; he was the last to approach her. Feeling increasingly out of place, he tried to calm his nerves as he felt the many pairs of eyes boring into his back. He took the carnation wordlessly, and for a moment he marveled at how purely white it was. He stepped forward, and he knew, he felt the hush fall among everyone as they watched him. Wondered about the unknown boy who had sat with family, like he was one of them. He approached the casket slowly, feeling his heart plunge at the sight of Yuuki. She looked like she was sleeping, but she was too pale. She was wearing a pretty dress with a conservative collar, to which he figured was to cover her wounds.

Timidly, he searched a spot to place the flower, feeling awkward. But still, he found a suitable place, near her heart, and placed it inside. He swallowed and reached to grab onto her hand.

It shocked him at how different it was. Cold and lifeless, like every ounce of warmth had been sucked out of her. He had figured he was going to cry, but was mildly surprised to find that he couldn't. He tightened his grasp on her hand, blocking out everyone who was staring. He didn't care anymore. Slowly, he leaned down towards her, and faintly whispered.

"_I love you._"

---

He was just passing by the restroom facilities, when he heard crying coming from the women's restroom. They were so pained and heart wrenching, he didn't know what to do. He considered passing, but when he heard it suddenly subside, and then footsteps drawing near, he just stumbled backwards. He watched as the door opened, as someone who he figured was probably one of Yuuki's friends stepped out, rubbing at her eyes with her fist. He recognized the dark hair immediately.

_Karin._

She looked at him in surprise, mouth hung open as if she had just been caught committing a crime. She hastily rubbed at her face, forcing the tears to stop. "You didn't see this."

He nodded in compliance. "Yeah, okay. Are you okay?"

Karin stepped by him, before replying, "Yes. I am fine."

"You don't want to talk about it?" He questioned, feeling like he was invading her personal space.

"I was mad at Yuuki. Before she died." She answered coldly, faltering for a moment before continuing, "I yelled at her after that game. I blamed her for… for you not wanting to… you know. I was a jerk and I didn't speak to her. In fact, I haven't spoken to her since that incident. And now I can't speak to her ever again." She turned to face him, a great sadness in her eyes. "Is that what you wanted to hear?"

He turned his head, feeling ashamed. He didn't know what to say. He took a deep breath, wondering what Yuuki would say at something like this. And slowly, he started speaking. "Yuuki loved you. I'm sure she won't let a mistake like that make her think of you less. I'm sure she understood, I know she understood."

"Yeah." Karin agreed, glancing at him for a moment.

"You should clean up. People will know you've been crying." He gestured vaguely with an arm at the people who were already staring, and she nodded.

"Thanks." She whispered, before disappearing back into the restroom.

---

"Toushirou!"

He heard someone call his name and turned sharply, to see Karin standing there. He was surprised to see that she looked normal again, but the sadness was clearly expressed in her eyes. He stopped walking, and let Matsumoto and the other Shinigami go ahead of him, for tonight they would probably be returning to Soul Society. Feeling awkward, he gave her a small nod. He watched with a confused expression as she briskly made her way over to him and grabbed onto his hand. He wanted to pull back, but she had a firm grasp. She unfolded his hand and gave him something squishy and closed his hand over it. She let go, and he felt his arm drop smoothly to his side, fist clenched.

"I think she would have wanted you to have it." Karin explained quickly. "I better go, my, uh, friends…" She motioned vaguely to a group of kids whom Hitsugaya recognized to be her soccer buddies, standing awkwardly by the door.

"Okay." He answered dully, and gave her another nod. And quietly added, "I'm sorry."

She turned to look at him for a brief moment, before returning in the direction of her friends. "It's okay. It wasn't your fault." She paused for a few seconds before adding, "It was an accident."

He nodded again, and watched as she made her way to her friends. He saw them turn and glance at him with surprise, heard them whispering.

"…_isn't he from the game?"_

"_Why's he here?"_

"…_he was her boyfriend, you idiot."_

"…_oh."_

"_I didn't know that!"_

"… _well, that's what I heard!..."_

He saw Karin turn sheepishly towards him, giving him one final parting nod. He lifted his hand to wave, only to realize that he was still holding that thing. He opened his hand slowly, eyes widening in surprise.

He stared at the glittery heart that he had bought for her, and could almost hear her cheerful voice.

'_Remember, you won't regret it! I promise!'_

He smiled sadly to himself, silently agreeing. He would never regret it because he loved her.

---

**A/N: **Well, that's the end of it. There were so many directions I could have taken with this story, but I knew that in the end I would have ended this with Yuuki's death. Realistically (as in within the anime), I don't think it would be really possible to have a relationship between a human/shinigami, thus I concluded that this was the way to go.

I have, however, left the doors open to a sequel (which many of you guessed…) and have a vague idea of how I'd approach it. I still have to work out the main ideas of the plotline, so it may be some time before the first chapter is released. Please put me on your author alert list if you would like to know when it comes out. : )

I would like to thank everyone who have faithfully reviewed for Promise, it was really uplifting to read everyone's opinions and words of support. I hope that the sequel will receive your attention as well.

**REPLIES:  
**erina: I'm surprised someone noticed. Matsumoto's sword breaking Gin's was never explained, but it will be in the sequel (that's all I'm revealing!) Thank you so much for your continuous support, I really enjoyed reading your reviews, erina. : )

Ishhyy: I am so sorry I made you cry… but be happy, because there actually is a sequel being written! Thank you very much for your reviews for Promise.

Slothy Girl: Maybe that will happen, but maybe not. I am glad that you liked the previous chapter. Thank you for reading my fanfic. I really appreciated it!

b a y o – b a y o: When I was writing the part where they were talking to each other, I felt so horrible, I felt like I was going through it myself (because I'm the writer). XD Thank you again, for all your support.

OcGoddess: Eek, sorry. No jokes here. Thanks for reviewing!

Broken angel neko: Thank you so much.

Bloody-Ribbon: I can't reveal anything, haha. But thank you for reading and reviewing.

Feather's Shadow: Wow, thank you: )

Aikou: You guessed it. Thanks so much for your review!

GBAgentOtaku: Seriously, your reviews make me crack up. They're so cute. Thank you very much for reviewing for my story.

TideDrop: Aww, I feel honored. Thank you very much.

NeverGoodbyeRoxas: I swear you must be in my mind or something, because you seem to pinpoint exactly everything I try to get across. Haha, thank you so much for all your reviews, I really enjoyed reading them!

Megomi: Thanks so much for your reviewing!

Tsi-chan: I'm on it. Thanks again!

Once again, I would like to thank you all for reading Promise.

Get ready for the sequel: )


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